Tim Scannell Accessibility Consultant

29/10/2026

🇯🇵 Sign language and AI in Japan: promising research, with important questions.

SignHAI 2026 has announced an invited presentation about NHK’s Japanese Sign Language (JSL) avatar technology.

📅 Workshop: Monday 16 November 2026, in the afternoon.
📍 Part of Human-Agent Interaction 2026 in Osaka, Japan.

The workshop focuses on signed conversations and turn-taking. NHK’s presentation describes a system that turns Japanese breaking-news text into avatar signing, including instructions for signing space, facial expressions and mouthing.

It will also present an evaluation involving Deaf and hard-of-hearing sign language users.

These are encouraging areas to investigate. Sign languages involve much more than recognising individual hand signs.

But does this mean the system is ready or benefits Japan’s Deaf community? We need more evidence.

I would like to understand:

• Are Deaf Japanese people helping lead the work and make decisions?
• Can fluent JSL users understand the signing accurately and naturally?
• Will testing methods, findings and limitations be published?
• Have people agreed to how their signing recordings are used?
• Will human interpreters and existing signed services remain available?
• Who is responsible when information is wrong or misunderstood?

The workshop page says International Sign interpretation is planned online. I would also welcome confirmation of JSL access so local Deaf people can participate fully.

This is an announced presentation. The workshop page does not yet provide detailed evaluation results, so it cannot establish accuracy or safety in everyday use.

The New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) Board’s position statement offers useful principles: Deaf leadership, community involvement, clear consent, quality checks and accountability.

Those principles can support international discussion, while Japan’s Deaf community shapes decisions about its own language.

As a Deaf BSL user, teacher and freelance accessibility consultant, I welcome research that listens to Deaf people and gives them real influence.

How will this improve access, understanding and choice for Deaf people?

🔗 SignHAI 2026 workshop:
https://sites.google.com/kyoto-u.ac.jp/signhai2026/

🔗 NZSL Board’s position statement and supporting resources:
https://www.nzsl.govt.nz/about-nzsl/nzsl-and-ai

28/10/2026

🚆 SWR’s One Scan and BSL: what do the figures actually measure?

Two Freedom of Information replies from South Western Railway, dated 21 September and 20 October 2026, bring together the usage figures and an explanation of how they are counted.

📱 700,000+ scans

This figure covers the whole One Scan service since 2023, not BSL alone.

Every scan counts. One person scanning twice generates two scans. It does not represent 700,000 separate passengers.

▶️ BSL activity

From 1 September 2025 to 1 September 2026, SWR reported:

• 3,126 BSL video starts.
• 1,334 reported “individual users” starting videos.
• 847 completed video plays.
• 349 reported “individual users” completing videos.

The introductory video accounted for 2,807 starts—89.8% of all BSL starts. The remaining 319 starts covered station departures, next-station information, specific journeys and other content.

🔍 Can one person count more than once?

Yes. SWR’s follow-up response, with answers provided by its supplier, confirms:

• Repeated video plays are included.
• The same person using different devices or browsers, or clearing cookies, can count as more than one “individual user”.

These are measures of recorded activity, rather than a verified count of separate Deaf passengers.

📊 Can the two totals be compared?

SWR confirms that BSL users were included in the overall scan total. Someone who scans and then starts a BSL video appears in both reporting systems.

However, the systems cannot be matched, and the published totals cover different periods. SWR says they cannot be used to calculate a BSL percentage of scans.

✅ What else is confirmed?

Users must activate the BSL toggle. Video completion is recorded at the 100% checkpoint.

Internal testing and validation took place, but there has been no independent checking of the analytics.

I welcome investment in BSL access. These replies help us understand what the numbers show.

The next questions concern passenger experience: can Deaf passengers find the information, understand the signing and use it to complete their journeys, particularly during disruption?

Scans and video plays provide useful evidence of activity. Understanding and practical benefit also need to be measured.

Both redacted FOI replies are attached for readers to check the evidence directly.

27/10/2026

CVG Airport ASL announcements: accuracy, review and transparency

Following my post last Sunday about sign-language access in transport, I would like to share an update and clarify my involvement.

On 10 October, I emailed the National Association of the Deaf (NAD) about apparent differences between the ASL signing and the written information on CVG Airport’s screens. My purpose was to ask for an accuracy check and improvements where needed.

I am a fluent BSL user. I learned ASL between 1995 and 2001 and volunteered with Deaf children at Deaf Camp USA. This experience helped me notice a possible mismatch, but I asked for an ASL review to verify my understanding.

In this video, the written display refers to B Gates, while my understanding of the signing is that it refers to A Gates:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewD9bG30g1U

The video provides a specific example for review. It does not establish what caused the apparent discrepancy.

NAD acknowledged my observations and shared my message with its legal and advocacy team.

I have since read this article, “I Filed One Complaint. An Airport Took Its AI Signer Down”:
https://www.novaracg.com/2026/10/26/i-filed-one-complaint-an-airport-took-its-ai-signer-down/

My email to NAD should be distinguished from the formal complaint described in the article. I cannot establish whether my email contributed to CVG’s decision.

The CVG correspondence shared with me states that the signed announcements have been removed for an accuracy review, intended to include Deaf ASL users, before returning to service.

My focus remains on accurate, consistent and reliable information for Deaf passengers. Checking the language and its connection to operational information is essential so passengers can understand where to go and when.

I made this amazing video with CapCut. Open the link to try...

26/10/2026

🌍 Sign language and AI: I would like to see this approach in more countries.

The New Zealand Sign Language Board has published a position statement about NZSL and AI.

It welcomes the possible benefits of AI and sets clear expectations:

• Deaf people must help lead decisions from the start.
• Community involvement must continue throughout the project.
• Sign language, culture and differences within the language must be respected.
• People must understand and agree to how their signing videos and data are used.
• Deaf experts must help check quality and accuracy.
• AI should support interpreters, translators and teachers.
• Human support should remain the main option in high-stakes situations.

An important point: a signing video being public online does not mean it is free to use for AI training.

The statement was informed by a forum bringing together Deaf people, Turi Māori, interpreters, government, researchers and technology providers.

I would welcome similar work in the UK and other countries: accessible conferences, boards with Deaf leadership, agreed responsibilities and clear public guidance.

Each country should work with its own Deaf communities and respect their languages and cultures.

As a Deaf BSL user, teacher and freelance accessibility consultant, I welcome this positive approach to responsible innovation.

The official website includes:

• The full position statement.
• A short summary.
• A guide and checklist.
• Alternative formats.
• Deaf and Turi Māori views on NZSL and AI.

Explore the resources:
https://www.nzsl.govt.nz/about-nzsl/nzsl-and-ai

Could more countries follow this example?

The position statement sets out how work with AI should involve Deaf and Turi Māori decision-making, and what this means for agencies and organisations working with AI technologies and NZSL.

25/10/2026

BSL, AI and the future of accessible travel

A warm thank you to Cambridge Deaf Association, Ahmed Malawi and Michael Quinlan for Friday evening’s livestream, “BSL and AI: What is the future?”

I appreciated the opportunity to ask questions, hear your perspectives and explore how technology can support sign-language access.

Since March 2025, I have been following developments in sign-language AI, including generated avatars and photorealistic signing videos. My interests include translation accuracy, reliability and how Deaf people’s experiences help shape development.

For clarity, I do not work for Signapse. I am sharing these resources as part of my own research and interest in Deaf accessibility and sign-language technology.

Following Friday’s discussion, readers may find these resources useful.

BSL on the railway

A parliamentary answer dated 9 February 2026 describes Network Rail’s use of prerecorded BSL videos rather than AI-generated signing, following Deaf-community feedback. It also outlines government support for a Signapse project through the First of a Kind funding programme.

The answer concerns Network Rail’s approach; individual train operators’ services should be considered separately.

https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2026-01-15/106190

ASL at CVG Airport

Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport describes its partnership with Signapse, providing ASL welcome messages and general information on airport screens.

https://www.cvgairport.com/business/business-opportunities/pte/

Signapse’s article, dated 6 March 2024, provides further background on airport tram departure, arrival and safety information. It describes boarding-gate announcements as a planned development at that time.

https://www.signapse.ai/post/how-cvg-airport-used-ai-to-provide-live-updates-in-american-sign-language

Related video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewD9bG30g1U

These resources offer different perspectives on how sign-language information is being introduced into transport settings.

I look forward to seeing how this work develops, with Deaf expertise contributing to language quality, passenger understanding and decisions about when and how systems are used.

BSL and ASL are distinct living languages, each with its own structures, communities and cultural heritage. Keeping these foundations at the centre of development can help create useful and trusted services.

My focus remains on accessible information that passengers can understand and use confidently.

Thank you again to everyone who contributed to Friday’s conversation. 🤟

24/10/2026

A warm thank you to Cambridge Deaf Association for last night’s livestream, “BSL and AI: What is the future?”, with Ahmed Mudawi and Michael Quinlan.

I was so pleased you took the time to answer my questions. I appreciated the opportunity to join the discussion and hear your views.

These are the questions I raised, alongside further points about Deaf experts’ authority and protecting our language:

Natural BSL: How can AI use BSL grammar, facial expressions and space, rather than follow English word order and produce something closer to Sign Supported English?

Matching information: What happens when the signing does not match the text or information on screen? Who checks and corrects it?

Live announcements: Does the system translate live tannoy announcements spoken by staff, or only show recorded avatar messages? What happens during unexpected changes or emergencies?

Quality and safety: Who checks that the signing is accurate and understandable? Are qualified Deaf BSL reviewers and independent Deaf users involved?

Deaf experts’ authority: Will Deaf experts have real decision-making power? If they find that a system is not ready, inaccurate or unsafe, can they stop its release or pause its use until the problems are fixed?

Deaf AI engineers: AI companies say they struggle to find Deaf AI engineers. What practical steps are they taking to recruit Deaf people and provide accessible training, internships and routes into AI careers?

Deaf leadership: How can Deaf people lead decisions about the design, development and use of sign-language AI, with their expertise recognised and paid fairly?

Two-way communication: Can more investment support translation from BSL into text, alongside text into BSL?

Consent and identity: If an avatar combines one person’s face with another person’s arms or body, how are everyone’s consent, identity and rights protected?

Protecting our language and rights: Could the UK Government develop a clear statement on BSL and AI, similar in purpose to the NZSL and AI statement, to protect sign-language heritage, Deaf culture and Deaf people’s rights? How can Deaf communities lead this work and decide how their language and signing data are used?

I support technology that improves accessibility. BSL is a living language, part of our identity, culture and heritage. Deaf communities must shape its future, with the authority to challenge decisions and say when a system needs more work.

Thank you again to the speakers, organisers and everyone involved for welcoming these questions and making space for an open conversation. 🤟

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUH7lgp2IPU

BBC Cambridgeshire BBC One ITV
UK Government Microsoft Apple Google

23/10/2026

🚆 Equal access to railway information for Everyone

My starting point is simple: if hearing passengers receive essential journey and safety information, Deaf passengers should receive the same information, accurately and in time to act.

The goal should be 100% equal access. My FOI enquiries seek to understand what is available and where gaps remain across services and providers.

📄 What Network Rail confirmed on 18 September 2026:

• BSL information is displayed on screens at its 19 directly managed stations, excluding HS1 stations. It does not hold comprehensive figures for stations managed by train operating companies.

• At its managed stations, BSL information is linked to automated information systems. Cancellations, platform alterations and delays normally update through industry systems, which then update screens and associated BSL content.

• Manually spoken station announcements are not automatically translated into BSL and do not automatically appear on station screens.

• Where information is entered into the relevant systems, screens and linked BSL services are updated. New BSL content may require additional time to generate and publish.

• Network Rail holds no specific data measuring delays between audio announcements and BSL displays.

• Its response described human-recorded and AI-generated BSL approaches across the industry, without identifying which approach is used at each station.

These findings do not provide a percentage for equal access. They identify what is confirmed and what still needs clarification.

📋 My follow-up requests accessibility testing, Deaf passenger feedback, evaluations and quality assessments across BSL providers. It also asks for a station-by-station breakdown, including coverage of disruption, emergencies and manually spoken announcements.

📅 In its letter dated 19 October, Network Rail confirmed that it holds relevant information. It is considering commercial interests and the public interest in disclosure, with a target for a full response by 16 November 2026, or sooner if possible.

I am awaiting that response.

I welcome improvements in accessibility. My focus is on everyone being able to travel with the information they need, from routine departures to unexpected changes and emergencies.

100% equal access to essential information should be the goal.

23/10/2026

📅 Coming up on my LinkedIn: 23 October–4 November 2026

🚆 Rail accessibility FOI findings: This afternoon, Friday 23 October, then 26 October and 2–4 November. What do railway providers’ responses tell us about access to information for Deaf passengers?

🇳🇿 27 October: A closer look at the New Zealand Sign Language Board’s position statement on NZSL and AI.

🌍 28–30 October: Sign-language AI providers around the world exploring accessibility, Deaf leadership, community involvement and how translation quality is checked.

The aim is to share evidence, encourage discussion and explore how we can improve access together. Your experiences and views are welcome.

22/10/2026

📺 Better technology, human interpreters: where can AI add value?

SignUp Media is an example worth discussing in accessible entertainment.

It brings human sign language interpreters to selected films and programmes on platforms including Netflix and Disney+. SignUp says it prioritises Deaf talent on screen, while its technology lets viewers adjust the interpreter overlay’s size and position.

This is human interpretation delivered alongside streaming content; that's different from AI-generated live signing.

I have no working relationship with SignUp Media. I’m sharing this from my perspective as a Deaf BSL user, freelance accessibility consultant and BSL teacher. I also work part-time for a Deaf organisation, delivering BSL Levels 1–3, Deaf Awareness Training and consultancy.

We invest in QLED, ULED, 4K and increasingly sophisticated televisions. Could more of that innovation help showcase human interpreters clearly, with accessible controls and accurate synchronisation?

There is another opportunity: improving the human-interpreted videos we already have.

Could AI help produce draft captions for checking, make existing signed content easier to find, or improve picture quality where appropriate? Could platforms integrate these videos more effectively?

Before spending money recreating content, we should ask:

• What good-quality human interpretation already exists?
• Can it be reused with permission and fair payment?
• What actually needs improving?
• Would AI bring a measurable benefit for Deaf viewers?
• What additional costs and risks would it introduce?

Video enhancement needs care. Processing must preserve handshape, movement, facial expression and timing. Automatically “polishing” signing could change its meaning, so qualified Deaf review is essential.

For prepared films and programmes, human interpretation can be recorded, reviewed and delivered through modern technology. AI may support parts of that process. Generating the signing is a separate decision that needs evidence.

I want investment in Deaf talent, language quality and viewer choice.

How can we use better technology to build on human expertise and make existing content more accessible?

https://www.signupmedia.com/

SignUp is a free-of-charge Google Chrome Extension that provides sign language interpretation on Disney+ and Netflix videos.

21/10/2026

🚨 94% of BSL users surveyed reported barriers on public transport. But what happens during an emergency?

Two important findings caught my attention recently.

📊 RNID's Clear Signals research: 94% of BSL users surveyed reported barriers when using public transport.

📄 Network Rail's September 2026 FOI response: Manually spoken station announcements are not automatically translated into BSL at its 19 directly managed stations.

Network Rail explained that information entered into railway systems can update station screens and linked BSL services. However, this is different from automatically translating a live spoken announcement.

So here's my biggest question:

If an emergency announcement is made over the tannoy, will Deaf passengers receive the same information at the same time as hearing passengers?

As a Deaf BSL user and accessibility consultant, this matters to me.

I welcome AI technology and improvements in accessibility. But we need clear evidence that these systems work reliably when passengers need them most.

✅ Are emergency messages available in BSL without unnecessary delays?

✅ Has the technology been independently tested with Deaf BSL users?

✅ What happens when information is missing, delayed or incorrectly translated?

✅ Are Deaf people involved in testing, leadership and decision-making?

Accessibility is not simply about introducing new technology. It is about making sure Deaf passengers receive accurate information when it matters most.

For me, this is about safety, equal access, fundamental language rights and digital rights.

💬 Would you trust AI-generated sign language during a railway emergency? What evidence would you need?

Sources: RNID Clear Signals research (2026) and Network Rail's September 2026 Freedom of Information response.