Every
announcement.
For everyone.
Deaf and hard-of-hearing travellers miss gate changes, platform updates, and emergency alerts — in real time, every day. We're trying to understand the scale of that gap.
What hearing travellers receive. In real time. Every time.
The Gap
The PA announced it.
You didn't hear it.
No one thought to tell you.
The Gate Change
Your flight started boarding from Gate 22B. No visual alert fired. You were still at Gate 14.
"I watched the gate agent radio someone. I had no idea it was about us until I saw everyone moving."
The Platform Swap
Your train moved to Platform 7B. The overhead screen hadn't caught up. Everyone else already knew.
"The screen still said Platform 3. I got there with two minutes to spare. Most days I wouldn't have."
The Emergency
A safety announcement played three times over the PA. You had no idea. You found out from a stranger's face.
"Everyone around me went still. I knew something had happened. No one thought to tell me what."
151,000
Profoundly deaf adults in the UK
Action on Hearing Loss
14,600+
Train stations and airports across the UK
ORR / CAA
Sources: Action on Hearing Loss (2023); Office of Rail and Road (ORR) Station Count (2024); Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) UK Airport Statistics (2024).
What We're Exploring
We don't know what the answer looks like.
That's exactly why we're asking.
Before anyone builds anything, we need to understand what would actually help. The problem is clear. The right shape of a response isn't — yet. Below are three directions that have been discussed. We're not advocating for any of them. We're using them as conversation starters.
What if platform screens also signed?
On-screen sign avatars could sit alongside text announcements on the departure boards already installed across the network. The technology exists. Whether it reaches the right people — and in a form that's actually useful — is a different question.
“Would this actually reach the people who need it? What would it miss?”
What if a remote interpreter joined the journey?
Video relay services already support deaf people in medical and legal settings. Applying the same principle to transit — connecting a passenger to a remote BSL interpreter on demand — raises hard questions about scale, cost, and what happens when connections drop.
“What are the practical limits? When does it break down?”
What if your phone became the announcement?
Real-time translation to a personal device could deliver the full content of a PA announcement — text, or even signed video — the moment it happens. The barriers aren't primarily technical. They're about who has a compatible device, who knows the system exists, and whether anyone trusts it.
“Who would actually use this? What barriers would stop them?”
Who We Want to Hear From
If you recognise yourself here,
your experience matters.
We're not looking for opinions on technology. We're looking for stories about what it's actually like.
Deaf & Hard-of-Hearing Travellers
You navigate stations and airports with partial information every time you travel. Your experience is the foundation this research is built on.
"Tell me about the last time you missed an announcement."
"What do you do when the gate changes?"
BSL Interpreters
You bridge communication gaps every day in medical, legal, and community settings. We want to understand what that expertise looks like, and where it reaches its limits.
"What does real-time interpretation demand of you?"
"Where does the current system fail the people you work with?"
Station & Airport Accessibility Teams
You know the regulations, the complaints log, and the real operational constraints. We need that perspective to understand what's actually possible — and what keeps getting in the way.
"What accessibility provision currently exists for deaf passengers?"
"What's blocked every attempt to improve it so far?"
Ground Staff & Announcements Teams
You make the announcements. You see the passengers. We want to understand what happens on the ground when communication breaks down.
"How do you currently support deaf passengers in the moment?"
"What do you wish you had available?"
Get Involved
Help us understand whether this problem is as real as we think it is.
Register below to follow the research or to be considered for an interview. Either way, you're helping shape whether this goes anywhere.
No product pitches. No spam. No promises about what gets built. This is research — we'll only contact you about interview scheduling or to share findings.