5 rights
BSL, captions & technology
British Sign Language recognition, live captions, loops and everyday tech.
British Sign Language (BSL)
BSL is recognised in UK law as a language of Great Britain (BSL Act 2022 in England/Wales/Scotland context). Public bodies are encouraged to promote and facilitate BSL use.
Ref: British Sign Language Act 2022
What to do: Request BSL when dealing with public services; point to BSL Act duties where relevant.
Live captions & speech-to-text
Automatic captions (including DeafAssist live captions) improve access but can err. For legal, medical or high-stakes meetings, use qualified humans (interpreter / STTR) as well.
Ref: Good practice | Equality Act reasonableness
What to do: Use DeafAssist live captions for everyday access; book professionals when accuracy is critical.
Hearing loops & assistive listening
Many public venues should maintain induction loops or equivalent. Report broken loops — they are often a reasonable adjustment expectation.
Ref: Equality Act Part 3 | building accessibility guidance
What to do: Ask venue staff to switch the loop on; report faults to the provider and local authority if needed.
Phone alternatives
You can often insist on email, SMS, video relay or text relay rather than voice phone for services and employers where reasonable.
Ref: Equality Act | Ofcom relay services information
What to do: State your preferred channel in writing and refuse voice-only processes when an alternative exists.
Video Relay Services (VRS)
VRS connects BSL users with hearing people via an interpreter over video. Availability depends on service and funding context.
Ref: Relay / VRS providers | employer ATW funding
What to do: Ask employer/Access to Work about VRS tools for work calls.