Scottish charity launches new app for BSL users
Deaf people will be able to access essential services more easily from today onwards with the launch of a free mobile app.
According to the UK Government's British Sign Language Third Report 2025, the British Deaf Association estimates that there are 87,000 deaf BSL users across the UK. Meanwhile, data from the Royal National Institute for Deaf People's 2025 Inclusion and Interpreter Provision review shows that there are only approximately 1,500 registered BSL interpreters. This equates to roughly one interpreter for every 60 deaf BSL users.
This national shortage of interpreters, combined with outdated and inconsistent booking systems, often means deaf people are left facing impossible choices: miss vital appointments, attend without proper communication support, or wait weeks for an interpreter to become available.
Now, a UK-first app developed by Scottish charity Deaf Action through the Scottish Government’s CivTech programme aims to transform this daily struggle by linking BSL users directly with interpreters when they need them.
SignPort will enable Deaf people to book British Sign Language (BSL) interpreters in just a few steps, see who their interpreter will be and communicate with them securely. It was developed by Deaf Action and Burrotech through the Scottish Government’s CivTech programme after a review found that the existing booking system is fragmented and time-consuming, with back-and-forth email exchanges leading to missed appointments and educational barriers.
It will help innumerable BSL users, such as 42 year old Richard MacQueen. MacQueen, from the North of Scotland, was hospitalised with pneumonia, but couldn’t book an interpreter. He asked his father to help translate. But his father, the only hearing person in their family, wasn't fluent enough for the complex medical conversations that followed.
"The doctor needed to check if I was HIV positive, as it might have been linked to my illness," says MacQueen. "When the results came back, there was no interpreter to pass them on. They sent a nurse who was learning very basic signs. She signed 'HIV' and put her thumb up. I was completely confused. Does that mean it's positive? Is this a good thing? What does this mean?"
For two days, MacQueen remained in the UK-based hospital, seriously ill and believing he might have HIV. "I felt like my life was over. I was so confused and dazed. I thought I had HIV and could die," he recalls.
When a qualified interpreter finally arrived, the truth emerged: his test results were negative. The thumbs up had meant good news, not confirmation of a positive diagnosis.
"That's why it's so important to have accurate communication there, to make sure everything is passed along smoothly," says MacQueen.
Launching the SignPort app at Deaf Action’s headquarters in Edinburgh, Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes said:
“This app builds on our commitment to make Scotland a more inclusive place for Deaf people. It also represents exactly the kind of innovation we want to see through our CivTech programme - technology that transforms lives and removes barriers.
“By putting Deaf people and interpreters at the heart of its design, this app addresses challenges that have persisted for too long. As a social enterprise, SignPort will reinvest in the very communities it serves, creating lasting change beyond improving bookings. This is community-led innovation at its best.”