More than 100 colleagues at Manchester Airport have signed up for a British Sign Language (BSL) course as part of a programme to improve the travel experience for deaf and hearing-impaired passengers.
The inaugural five-week sign language training programme, which began earlier this month, is part of a new partnership between Manchester Airport and the Cheshire-based sensory support charity DSN (Deaf & Sensory Network). Participating colleagues will be given tailored tuition to understand and communicate using BSL, as well as learn some of the specific language that may be used by travellers in an airport.
Jennifer Byrne-Smith, Manchester Airport’s Customer Operations Director, said:
“At Manchester Airport, we’re proud to connect the people of the North with the world, and we want everyone travelling through to have a great experience. That, of course, includes the many thousands of passengers with hearing loss or other kinds of sensory loss that use our airport every year.
“We also employ more than 3,600 people, many of whom either have sensory loss themselves or have friends or loved ones who are affected – so our colleagues are highly invested in this issue too, and it’s been fantastic to see such strong demand for places on our free BSL programme, run in conjunction with the Deaf & Sensory Network.
“This is a programme that will have tangible benefits for passengers with hearing loss as they navigate our airport – and it comes on the back of several other improvements made in the past 12 months, with further work ongoing.”
The BSL course for colleagues is being led by Lisa Birtles, a representative for DSN on the airport’s Accessibility Forum. Lisa, from Cheshire, who is deaf and a native BSL user, has been a BSL tutor for over 30 years and an advocate for the promotion of deaf awareness through DSN’s training arm, incus.
Lisa said:
“At DSN our mission is to support people with hearing loss to communicate effectively and live independent and fulfilling lives and that includes going on holiday. The airport can present a plethora of communication barriers for deaf people and our work to make the airport a more inclusive and accessible space is just one of the ways to help us achieve our goals.
“We have been delighted with the response and enthusiasm from colleagues and hope this is just the beginning of making air travel more inviting for the communities we serve.”
Tahir Yaseen, a supervisor at Manchester Airport’s private terminal aether, is among the colleagues taking part in the training programme. Tahir said:
“I’m delighted to have the opportunity to learn some British Sign Language, together with a number of my aether colleagues. Learning BSL will help us deliver a truly effortless, inclusive experience where every guest feels understood and truly welcomed.”
In addition to delivering the BSL course, the first of its kind at a UK airport, DSN is partnering with Manchester Airport to drive public awareness and understanding of sensory loss as part of its Deaf Awareness Week campaign. A pop-up information stand in Terminal 2, near the Special Assistance desks, opened 6 May.
Manchester Airport has made a number of changes to its procedures, and improvements to its facilities, over the last 12 months in consultation with its Accessibility Forum. This independently chaired advisory group aims to give travellers with disabilities a voice in shaping the airport experience and is made up of representatives from the airport and its special assistance provider, as well as airport users and charities including DSN.
Some of the headline improvements for passengers with hearing loss or other sensory loss include:
- A British Sign Language (BSL) Live Interpreter service
- ‘Touch to Tell’ icons added to passenger information kiosks
- A BSL Security preparation video added to airport website
- Design input into the redevelopment of Terminal 2 as part of the Manchester Airport Transformation Programme, including additional seating and capacity for an additional assistance lane in Security to operate during peak times
- Additional tailored passenger guidance on website related to travel with Assistance Dogs and hidden disabilities.
Transpennine Express, which operates Manchester Airport train station, also recently introduced sign language information on digital screens at the station.
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