Launch of new sign language service to help bus passengers in West Yorkshire

The West Yorkshire Combined Authority’s partnership with SignLive will use video technology to connect customers to qualified BSL interpreters, who will then facilitate real-time conversations with Metro travel staff.

Customers in staffed bus stations across West Yorkshire can use SignLive to speak to the Combined Authority’s transport teams about travel information queries, senior and disabled person’s travel passes, AccessBus and more.

This initiative, which launches today (Wednesday 28th May), is part of the Combined Authority’s ongoing commitment to making public transport more accessible and inclusive for everyone in West Yorkshire.

Mayor of West Yorkshire Tracy Brabin said: “Public transport is for everyone here in West Yorkshire.

“By introducing this fantastic new service, we are making sure everybody feels they can use our buses, no matter what challenges they might face.”

West Yorkshire’s Inclusivity Champion Fatima Khan-Shah said: “We genuinely want our transport services to be easy for everyone to use, so that they have the chance to travel comfortably and with respect.

“SignLive is a great way to support our customers who use British Sign Language. We want them to feel confident and secure as they use public transport.

“Initiatives like this are how we build a more inclusive, better-connected West Yorkshire.”

First-time users of the service will need to complete a free one-time registration via the SignLive website.

By scanning a QR code at any staffed bus station or travel centre, customers will be connected to an interpreter via their smartphone or tablet.

There is also a SignLive app that can be downloaded for smartphones and tablets.

Once logged in, customers will then be able to search the community directory for the relevant West Yorkshire Combined Authority service to be linked with an interpreter.

More information can be found by visiting the Combined Authority website: https://www.wymetro.com/british-sign-language-bsl/.

SignLive is a deaf-owned, deaf-led business dedicated to breaking down communication barriers for the deaf community through accessible technology and services.