Through our AI for Good cohort, we were made aware that for over 70 million Deaf people globally, their first and preferred language is sign language. Sign languages are structured differently from spoken and written language. As a result, some Deaf people have difficulties understanding content in written form. Many rely on friends and family to access the information they need. For example, getting a COVID vaccination is not a simple task when booking and follow-up information is in written text and healthcare staff are wearing facemasks (reducing the ability to lipread).<\/p>\n
Despite our focus on accessibility and ensuring all content has subtitles and closed captions, this identified that our content was still inaccessible to a broad group of people.<\/p>\n
\u201cBSL is not the same as spoken English or written English, says Tim Scannell, Signly ambassador. \u201cA lot of companies say English is good enough, because they think that Deaf people can understand English like a first language. We\u2019re trying to show that the Deaf grassroots BSL community don\u2019t necessarily understand English well.\u201d<\/p>\n
As part of the Deaf BSL community, Tim and Signly have been researching into the impact of the lack of BSL services. \u201cThey [BSL users] would always talk about having to bother somebody who is hearing that they knew.\u201d Tim says. For some, this may be the children of Deaf adults, which then changes their relationships and increases stress and anxiety for both. \u201cIt also took Deaf people sometimes long time to understand.\u201d For example, if a hearing customer had an issue with their bank, they could go into the branch, or call and get it sorted quickly. \u201cA Deaf customer, however, will go into the branch and the bank would give them written information to read, or they [the bank] wouldn\u2019t know about booking an interpreter or very rarely that would happen. But most don\u2019t know how. They just apologise and say they couldn\u2019t. A Deaf person just wants better communication.\u201d<\/p>\n
Learning about Signly<\/h2>\n
Technology has the power to help everyone. Therefore, it\u2019s clear that we need to make sure that no one gets left behind. That\u2019s why at Microsoft, we\u2019re always looking at ways we can improve accessibility.<\/p>\n
We were introduced to Signly when they became part of our\u00a0AI for Good programme<\/a>. Instantly, I knew they\u2019d be a key partner to help us further our inclusion goals.<\/p>\n What do Signly do? Their technology translates written text to sign language. It removes this barrier, making content more accessible and is all run on Azure.<\/p>\n \u201cA lot of firms think about just providing the typical accessibility features and think it\u2019s okay, and it\u2019s always because of the wrong perception that Deaf people are okay with English,\u201d says Tim. \u201cIf people only think about the options they\u2019ve set up. That\u2019s not going to work. They need to think sometimes outside of the box.\u201d<\/p>\n And Signly thinks innovatively. Signly allows users to self-serve, view or request sign language translations on webpages. The AI for Good programme helped Signly scale their app.\u00a0Lloyds Bank became the first UK organisation to offer a translation website in British Sign Language<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cSignly covers the fixed information you have on a website so that you make less calls to need an interpreter,\u201d says Tim.<\/p>\n With only around 1000 interpreters in the UK, it\u2019s important we use technology to assist them in their roles while empowering BSL users. Both\u00a0the World Federation of the Deaf (WFD) and the World Association of Sign Language Interpreters (WASLI)<\/a>\u00a0express how machine learning or AI signing avatars should not be used when the information being delivered is live, complex or of significant importance to the lives of Deaf citizens. Signly helps free up BSL interpreters to focus on those moments, while giving BSL users equal access to the information when they need it.<\/p>\n The Microsoft Apprenticeship Network was built to help connect apprentices and organisations together. To bridge a digital skills gap, the UK needs over three million people in tech careers by 2025. Apprentices are key to this.<\/p>\n At the same time, we need to ensure that our new talent is diverse and inclusive. According to the\u00a0NHS<\/a>, people who are Deaf or experience hearing loss are more likely to be unemployed. And in employment, 74 percent surveyed felt that their employment opportunities were limited because of their hearing loss. This means we\u2019re missing out on diverse perspectives, building new talent and driving inclusive innovation. We\u2019re also missing out on the potential economic output. If we don\u2019t address these employment rates by 2031 the UK economy will lose \u00a338.6 billion per year.<\/p>\n The beauty behind Signly is its simplicity. As a low code solution, it can be easily added to any website. You can translate the pages like we did. So, when you launch you are automatically accessible for everyone. The service also works on demand. Users can request websites to be translated when they need it.<\/p>\n \u201cWe use Azure to create a \u2018Signing Studio,\u2019\u201d explains Mark Applin, Signly CEO. \u201cIt grabs the English straight from the website and fires it straight into the teleprompter for the Deaf translator working from a home studio.\u201d<\/p>\n From there, the video goes back to Azure, and straight onto the web page. And when you update your website, a notification is automatically sent to Signly to update that section. This means all your users are getting the right information at the right time.<\/p>\n When Tim showed the website to other BSL users, he said they were amazed and relieved. As one Signly user said: “Wow. That’s wonderful, that’s really beautiful. I’ve had a problem with all kinds of things, whether it’s doctors or banking and nobody will help me with the English. And I don’t know any of that in English… I have to go to Citizen’s Advice. There’s just barriers everywhere. All the companies just won’t help you.”<\/p>\n “People were getting emotional just to see something in their language.”<\/em><\/p>\n – Tim Scannell, Signly ambassador<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Working with Signly has shown me the massive opportunity it has in democratising access to everyone. Our values are right there on our website. We aim to help everyone achieve more. And we want to not just talk the talk but to walk the walk. Signly helps us achieve this goal. This is the start of a journey. This pilot is a good first step to see how we can scale the technology across other websites. In the future we can even perhaps scale it to our partners and customers.<\/p>\n \u201cI think with Microsoft being such a massive leader, it could have a huge impact on so many other firms and organisations and what can be done. Every website should have sign language content. It makes deaf people feel accepted,\u201d says Tim.<\/p>\n Another Signly user agrees with Tim. \u201cIt [BSL on websites] would be a massive benefit. Less stressed, I\u2019d know how to communicate. I wouldn\u2019t constantly have to ask what does this mean, what does that mean. It would give us equality. I can learn at the same time.\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s also a great opportunity for the public sector to deliver important information to BSL users. For example, the NHS could use it to provide fixed information around vaccinations, as suggested by a Signly user: \u201cThey [The NHS] send me a leaflet about the vaccine, and I said, \u2018I just can\u2019t read it\u2019. I\u2019ve not had any information about the vaccine. I keep saying \u2018where is the interpreter?\u2019 They\u2019re all wearing masks and I can\u2019t lip read them. If I had a bad reaction, I don\u2019t know what to look out for.\u201d<\/p>\n Media companies can also leverage the technology, to provide more equitable access to news and content. \u201cYou miss things on the news\u2026The BBC website should have sign language on the news [page]. And the NHS,\u201d adds a BSL user.<\/p>\n Your accessibility journey will be constantly evolving as you learn. It\u2019s important to remember that implementing inclusive designs in your services and products is not a \u2018one and done\u2019 job. It\u2019s a continuous process that you must update and approach in new ways. And working with companies like Signly, you can easily scale out these innovations. This endeavour is a stepping stone for us at Microsoft. It’s one we are proud of and hope to expand on.<\/p>\n Learn more about Signly<\/a><\/p>\n Our accessibility commitment<\/a><\/p>\n Help Signly and take part in their social impact research<\/a><\/p>\n Accessibility fundamentals<\/a><\/p>\n Learn the basics of web accessibility<\/a><\/p>\nImproving access for everyone with sign language<\/h2>\n
The low code tech behind the solution<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"Signly](\"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/industry\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/22\/2021\/05\/Signly-MAN.gif\")
<\/p>\nThe BSL user experience<\/h2>\n
The future of our accessibility journey with sign language<\/h2>\n
How Signly could transform other industries<\/h2>\n
![\"Steps](\"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/industry\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/22\/2021\/05\/infographic-accessibility-1024x512.webp\")
<\/p>\nFind out more<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Resources to empower your development teams<\/h2>\n
About the author<\/h2>\n
![\"Victoria](\"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/industry\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/22\/2018\/08\/Victoria-180x180-150x150.jpg\")
Great stories demand heroes, emotions, and insight. As Storytelling & Digital Destinations Lead at Microsoft UK,