Rail Staff Learn Sign Language to Support Deaf Passengers
By Disabilities Correspondent
More than 70 TransPennine Express staff have learned British Sign Language (BSL) to help make journeys easier for deaf and hearing-impaired passengers.
Conductors and customer-facing employees have taken part in training covering everyday conversations as well as railway-specific terms such as tickets, platforms and delays.
The sessions also include deaf awareness training to help staff better understand the challenges some passengers may face while travelling.
According to the Royal National Institute for Deaf People, one in three adults in the UK are deaf, have hearing loss or tinnitus.
Around 25,000 people use sign language as their main language.
The training has been delivered by Deafero5 and has proved popular with staff, with more than 90 additional places expected to be made available in the coming months.
Andrew McClements, Customer Experience and Transformation Director at TransPennine Express, said:
“We’re proud of the enthusiasm our colleagues have shown in taking part in this training. We’re hoping it will help break down barriers and make rail travel more inclusive for everyone who uses our services.”
Staff taking part learn greetings, numbers and common customer service phrases, helping them communicate more confidently with passengers who use sign language.
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The initiative is one of a number of steps being taken to improve accessibility across the rail network and support passengers with different communication needs.
