Published: 15 Mar 2026
As Sign Language Week 2026 arrives, the heritage sector has an opportunity to reflect on how cultural stories are shared - and who they are shared with.
From 16 - 22 March 2026, organisations across the UK will celebrate Sign Language Week, recognising the language, culture and community of Deaf people.
This year’s event carries particular significance. The British Deaf Association has launched its #TakingBSLForward civil rights movement, highlighting the importance of protecting, promoting and strengthening British Sign Language (BSL) for future generations.
For museums, historic sites and visitor attractions, Sign Language Week provides an important moment to reflect on accessibility. Heritage spaces exist to tell stories about our past; those stories should be accessible to everyone.
Why BSL Matters
British Sign Language is used by an estimated 151,000 people in the UK, making it one of the country’s most widely used indigenous languages.
For many Deaf people, BSL is their first or preferred language, meaning traditional written interpretation alone can limit access to cultural experiences
Momentum for greater recognition of British Sign Language has grown significantly in recent years, particularly following the introduction of the British Sign Language Act 2022.
The Act marked an important milestone, formally recognising BSL and encouraging public bodies to consider how the language is used within their services and communications.
While legislation alone cannot deliver full accessibility, it has helped raise awareness of the importance of providing information and experiences in BSL.
For the heritage sector, this shift reflects a broader cultural change. Accessibility is no longer seen as “nice to have”, but as an essential part of delivering meaningful visitor experiences.
British Sign Language has its own grammar and structure, distinct from written or spoken English.
Yet historically, many visitor attractions have relied heavily on written interpretation. Panels, labels and guidebooks can provide useful context, but they do not always offer the same level of engagement for visitors whose first language is BSL.
Heritage experiences are built around storytelling. Whether exploring royal history, maritime heritage, architecture or industrial innovation, they all have the same aim; to bring their story to life.
For Deaf visitors, BSL tours delivered by native signers allow those stories to be experienced with the same depth, nuance and emotion as hearing audiences.
Providing BSL interpretation therefore goes beyond accessibility. It recognises language, identity, and the right for everyone to participate fully in cultural life.
Across the heritage sector, attitudes towards accessibility are evolving.
Where organisations once focused on meeting minimum requirements, many are now striving to create visitor experiences that are inclusive by design.
Technology has played a key role in this shift. Modern multimedia guides and mobile platforms allow attractions to offer interpretation in multiple formats, including audio narration, subtitles and BSL video tours.
This means Deaf visitors can explore heritage sites independently, in the format that works best for them.
With more than 30 years of experience delivering multimedia interpretation for cultural attractions, ATS Heritage has seen how thoughtful accessibility can transform the visitor experience. The organisations leading the way are those that recognise inclusion not as an additional feature, but as a fundamental part of how stories are shared.
Today, a growing number of heritage organisations are embracing BSL tours as part of their visitor experience, demonstrating how inclusive interpretation can be integrated across a wide range of cultural environments.
Among the attractions leading the way are:
One of the UK’s most popular visitor attractions, Royal Yacht Britannia offers BSL and ASL tours through its multimedia guide. Deaf visitors from the UK and overseas can independently explore the ship’s five decks while engaging with its royal history through sign language interpretation.
At distilleries including Talisker on the Isle of Skye, Blair Athol in Pitlochry and The Singleton at Glen Ord, BSL tours allow visitors to discover the craftsmanship and heritage behind whisky production in a fully accessible way.
Through the integration of BSL interpretation within its visitor experience, Titanic Belfast enables Deaf visitors to engage more deeply with the emotive human stories behind the Titanic.
Ely Cathedral’s multimedia guide includes a dedicated BSL tour exploring the cathedral’s remarkable architecture, history and community stories.
Delivered through handheld multimedia guides, these BSL tours allow visitors to explore at their own pace while experiencing the same depth of storytelling as hearing audiences.
A common misconception is that subtitles alone provide sufficient accessibility.
While subtitles are an important tool, for many culturally Deaf people BSL is their first language, and written English is a second language with a very different grammatical structure.
This means relying solely on written interpretation can still leave gaps in understanding or engagement.
Forward-thinking heritage organisations are increasingly adopting a layered approach to accessibility, combining several forms of interpretation:
Together, these elements help create experiences that are accessible, engaging and inclusive for a wider audience.
As the #TakingBSLForward movement continues to highlight the importance of protecting and promoting British Sign Language, the heritage sector has an important role to play.
Every visitor attraction tells a story. Ensuring those stories can be experienced through BSL tours and inclusive interpretation helps make heritage truly accessible. Across the sector, the most forward-thinking organisations recognise that inclusive storytelling strengthens the experience for everyone.
At ATS Heritage, we’re proud to support cultural organisations in developing interpretation that ensures their stories can be shared with the widest possible audience.
Because heritage belongs to everyone, and the stories we preserve should be accessible to all who wish to experience them.
ShapeTo learn more about how to implement BSL tours in your venue please get in touch today or to see examples of our work with visit our Access page.