Screens at Manchester Airport have been upgraded to include information to help British Sign Language (BSL) users find the next train into the city centre quickly and easily.
TransPennine Express (TPE) has now included the next departure to Manchester Piccadilly from the Airport in its BSL portfolio, as data from the Office of Rail and Road shows that more than a quarter of journeys (27 per cent) are to the city centre station from Manchester Airport.
The train operator first added BSL to its screens at the station and across its network in 2022 so users can access service information without having to rely on spoken announcements or written departure screens after 2021 Census data showed that, in addition to spoken languages, BSL was the main language of 22,000 people. Based on the percentage of people who reported “using British Sign Language at home” on the 2011 Scottish Census, meanwhile, the British Deaf Association estimated there were 151,000 BSL users in the UK, of whom 87,000 are deaf.
READ MORE: Lord of the Rings author’s Lancashire college getaway looks to movies to beat private school tax rises
Records show the existence of a sign language within deaf communities in England at least as far back as the 15th century. The History of the Syon Monastery at Lisbon and Brentford, published in 1450, contains descriptions of signs—some of which are still in use today, although the first academic mention of BSL as we know it today was not until 1974, in US sociologist Aaron Cicourel’s Gestural Sign Language and the Sudy of Non-Verbal Communication.
Andrew McClements, customer experience & transformation director, said: “We are constantly looking for ways to improve accessibility for our customers and we hope this small change will create an easier journey for BSL users travelling through Manchester.“
TPE has an ongoing commitment to improving accessibility and inclusivity on its services, and last year it completed testing a cutting-edge announcement system designed to improve journeys for those with a hearing impairment.
The system allows passengers to read real-time transcriptions of live announcements made by conductors on TPE’s onboard screens. This is especially helpful for customers with hearing loss or even those wearing headphones, making sure they don’t miss important information.
Toilets and seating are also being improved across the TPE network, including the addition of stoma-friendly facilities in accessible toilets.
