Our ‘Closing the Sign Language Gap’ Project with G&L Systemhaus Has Won the IBC Innovation Award for Social Impact 2026

We are thrilled to announce that our project with G&L Systemhaus, ‘Closing the Sign Language Gap: AI-Powered Sign Language for Live and On-Demand Streaming’ has won the IBC Innovation Award for Social Impact 2026. 

IBC (International Broadcasting Convention) is one of the largest conventions in broadcasting, bringing together the industry’s leading organisations to share ideas, celebrate achievements and build new connections. 

This award means more than recognition for Signapse. It’s an acknowledgement of the communication barriers the Deaf community faces everyday in broadcasting. Subtitles have long been treated as the “good enough” solution to bridge that gap. That’s no longer good enough, and this award shows the industry agrees. 

Why Subtitles Aren’t Enough

With tighter budgets and limited solutions, it’s easy to see why broadcasters have stuck with subtitles and closed captioning. But, subtitles fail to meet the needs of people whose first language isn’t a spoken one. For many in the Deaf community, sign language is their native language. Broadcast-grade sign language translation means Deaf audiences can finally receive information in their first language, at the same time as everyone else. 

Working Alongside Human Interpreters, Not Replacing Them

Our project with G&L Systemhaus isn’t about replacing human interpreters. Interpreters can’t be everywhere at once, and workforce shortages and tightening regulations are only making that harder. That’s where AI sign language translation can ease the workload. 

We believe human interpretation is best placed for critical, legal and medical information, where sensitive content demands the utmost care. Our AI technology is suited to other areas of broadcast, such as entertainment and content backlogs, helping broadcasters meet upcoming legislation. 

What’s Available Now

British Sign Language (BSL) and American Sign Language (ASL) translation are already available for broadcast and post-production use. German Sign Language (DGS) will follow later this year.

Want to see it in action? Book a demo with us today.

Find out more about SignStudio and SignStream.

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