TUI becomes first UK tour operator to offer British Sign Language interpretation
Deaf holidaymakers can now book their holidays with TUI with the help of a British Sign Language interpreter.
The travel firm has become the first in the UK to give customers the option to have their conversations with the travel firm interpreted into British Sign Language (BSL), having joined with forces with SignLive.
Deaf customers can sign up for free to SignLive and call via the online directory to have their telephone conversations with TUI Accessibility teams interpreted in real time.
Sue Bradley, TUI director of Customer Experience, said: “At TUI we want to make travelling with us as easy as possible for everyone. SignLive has come to us with an amazing solution for our customers who use BSL. This service means that these customers can have conversations with our team to ensure they book the perfect holiday for them and get any additional support they might need.
There are 151,000 BSL users in the UK (Getty Images)“Customers can speak to our contact centre team about new or existing bookings all by signing up to SignLive for free for support with hotel information, navigating airports or booking accessible transfers in resort.”
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There are 11 million people in the UK who are deaf or hard of hearing. and 151,000 BSL users in the UK, according to the government. Being able to communicate with a travel agent through BSL may make the booking process easier and more interactive for many of those people.
Fiona Mackay, COO of SignLive said: “We’re delighted to be working with TUI to make travel more accessible for Deaf people. This partnership makes communication smoother and the overall experience of going on holiday much easier for British Sign Language users. Customers can travel with confidence knowing they can communicate via an interpreter throughout their journey.”
While holidays - when at their best - can be crucial periods of relaxation and recharging batteries, often they end up being deeply stressful and energy sapping. This is particularly true for disabled people, who often face more hurdles when it comes to travel.
A recent study found that many disabled people feel so stressed out when booking and going on holidays that they've stopped taking them altogether. New research revealed that 51% of people with disabilities find holidays stressful and a third find them frustrating to plan and book.
Difficulties during the booking process often include finding affordable and suitable accommodation, lack of information on websites about support available, staff’s lack of knowledge, and hidden fees. The lack of help or facilities at the airport, and simply getting to the airport in the first place were among the concerns disabled people felt towards travelling.
Over 8 in 10 of disabled people stated they have experienced difficulties while travelling on holiday. These negative experiences have impacted 65% of disabled people’s attitudes toward travelling, with 1 in 10 going as far as avoiding leisure travel, due to not being confident that their additional needs could be met.
Almost half of all disabled people surveyed stated that they had made a complaint relating to accessibility while on holiday - and for 43%, nothing was done as a result of the complaint they raised. The research was conducted by Essex-based Ocean Holidays after it unveiled a service and resource hub dedicated to making holidays accessible for all, no matter the disability.
The company, which organises trips to Florida, says that customers can now book holidays knowing that every additional need they may have is taken care of - whether at the airport or in resort – by well trained staff at no extra cost. The travel firm has information on its website about everything from accessible restaurants to wheelchair-friendly sightseeing options in Florida.
Harry Hastings, Co-CEO and Co-Founder of Ocean Holidays, whose son Rudy has a rare genetic condition called MCAHS1, explained: "These findings underline the opportunity the travel industry has to make travel a better experience for the one in five individuals with disabilities in the UK.
"It’s great to see niche holiday operators serving the needs of so many but we also believe that it’s time that more mainstream travel companies step up with a more inclusive approach to supporting people with disabilities, and their families.
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