Helping passengers with special needs is something that every good airline must have in mind. Travelling must be a pleasant experience for everyone, and we know that unfortunately, that is not always the case for people with disabilities. British Airways has recently paired with SigncodeUK to provide Deaf and hard-of-hearing passengers with announcements in British Sign Language (BSL).
Improving accessibility
According to a press release published yesterday, British Airways partnered with SigncodeUK in an effort to improve accessibility to Deaf and hard-of-hearing passengers. Passengers can now access new video content with important travel information in BSL. These videos will be available both pre-travel and onboard.
Passengers can get access to it anytime at British Airways’ website. It provides passengers with a comprehensive overview of their journey, starting with the booking process and continuing through the airport experience, onboard services and entertainment.
Promoting equality
According to the article, SigncodeUK is an organisation committed to ensuring equal access to important information, products and services for people with special needs. This goes hand-in-hand with British Airways’ commitment to become the airline of choice for passengers with special needs. The new videos can be accessed via a link or QR code that will allow them to receive personalised messages.
The initiative will empower passengers with special needs to have access to important information that will make it easier for them to make better-informed decisions about their travel options. That ultimately improves their overall experience and promotes equality.
I strongly believe that initiatives like this are essential to the success of the industry in the future. We live in a society eager to travel and discover the world, airlines must be prepared to serve all passengers equally because a happy customer is a returning customer and that is exactly what they need. On the other hand, no one should have a less pleasant experience because they have special needs, instead, those special needs must be met and the passenger must be able to enjoy their trip as any other passenger.