Nationwide partners Signly to offer British Sign Language website translation service for deaf customers

Nationwide, the UK’s largest building society, has partnered with British Sign Language (BSL) technology company Signly to introduce a new digital service translating its website into BSL.
This initiative aims to enhance support for deaf customers, ensuring they can access Nationwide’s services in their primary language and improving their access to financial services.
According to the British Deaf Association (BDA), BSL is the primary language for 87,000 people in the UK, yet only 6% of financial services firms offer BSL-translated websites, as highlighted by a report from the Lending Standards Board.
Nationwide’s BSL content is delivered through pre-recorded signed videos, with priority given to the most popular web pages. Additionally, the content will expand over time, allowing users to request translations for new pages.
Signly’s technology continuously monitors Nationwide’s website content to ensure that translations remain faithful to the original text.
Kathryn Townsend, head of customer accessibility at Nationwide, believes this new service will enhance access to essential financial information for deaf customers.
This initiative complements Nationwide’s existing accessibility services, such as remote BSL access via video in call centers and in-branch BSL interpretation, further demonstrating its commitment to inclusivity and customer support.