Why Subtitles Aren't Enough

Unlock the whitepaper that’s challenging how we define Deaf accessibility

Subtitles are helpful.
But they're not the whole story

For many Deaf people, subtitles are like reading a second language. British Sign Language (BSL) and American Sign Language (ASL) are native, expressive languages with their own grammar, cultural depth, and emotional nuance.


When businesses rely on subtitles alone, they risk missing the mark and missing the audience.

The Statistics

  • 87,000+ Deaf people in the UK use BSL as their first language
  • 500,000+ ASL users in the US, the 3rd most-used language after English and Spanish
  • 80% of videos are watched with sound off, but captions don’t equal understanding

Inside the Whitepaper

  • Why subtitles alone fall short for Deaf users
  • How BSL/ASL improves comprehension, connection, and compliance
  • The case for going beyond legal requirements to cultural inclusion
  • Tangible business benefits; from brand trust to wider audience reach

Download our latest whitepaper
Why Subtitles Aren't Enough: The Case for Sign Language Access

Download the whitepaper today and start creating content that speaks everyone’s language.

Download this whitepaper now

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Over 5,000

train announcements generated daily throughout the UK

More than 2,500 UK

train stations now have Dynamic BSL translations, including over 300 disruption reasons.

500

US airports and 50 global airlines offering instant ASL translations.

Real customer experiences

"At CVG, Signapse enables us to provide a more inclusive travel experience for Deaf passengers. Signapse’s ASL messages on our flight screens, airport tram information, and upcoming boarding gate announcements alleviate travel anxieties and create an intuitive journey. We foresee this technology becoming standard across airports, promoting universal accessibility."

Hannah Meredith

Senior Manager of Strategic Innovation at CVG

How does it work?

  • 01

    Documentation

    Browse our API Documentation for both BSL and ASL translations

  • 02

    API Integration

    Generate sign language translations by integrating with our RESTful API that returns videos in less than 2 seconds.

  • 03

    Translations in your Workflow

    Provide accessible translations directly in your applications, such as digital screens or mobile apps.

See our case studies

FAQs

  • What format does my video need to be in?

    Submitted videos must be in one of the following formats: ".mp4" & ".mov"

  • Can you translate on-the-fly messages?

    While we are not currently able to support the translation of on-the-fly messages, this is a capability we are working towards.

  • What sign languages do you support?

    We currently support the translation of English text into British Sign Language (BSL) or American Sign Language (ASL). We plan to support additional languages and sign languages in the future.

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