LTA aces Deaf inclusivity with successful Signapse sign language launch

UK Sport has been more accessible than ever this Summer, thanks to a new partnership introduced by the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA).

The official home of Tennis for Britain successfully teamed up with Signapse, the video translation tool, in all its spectator information points at its longest-running international event at the Queens Club, West London.

The addition of video translation at the cinch Championships, part of the men’s professional ATP World Tour at Queens, meant that Deaf visitors would be able to have a British Sign Language (BSL) translation of all information, giving them clear updates on matches, scores and safety.

“This has been a fantastic summer for UK tennis and we are delighted that we have served an wider audience in this way for the first time by working with Signapse at Queens,” says Dave Hardman, EDI Strategic Manager at the LTA.

“Accessibility and inclusivity is of paramount importance to the LTA and we’ve been looking at how to make improvements and incorporate BSL for some time. Signapse’s technology made it incredibly easy and ensured that every single one of our visitors would be able to enjoy the full tournament experience, thanks to the AI signers at all information points.”

Leia Clancy, Head of Growth at, Signapse, says: “This is a fantastic move by the LTA. The government’s Accessible Stadia Project aims to deliver a better understanding of the barriers that disabled spectators face when attending spectator sport events, and it challenges clubs and venues to make their grounds inclusive and accessible in more ways – just like the LTA have by working with us.

“In the UK, 18 million people experience Deafness or significant hearing loss and 87,000 Deaf people use BSL as their primary language, with over 150,000 BSL users. By incorporating our video translation tool at this tennis event, the LTA has ensured a more inclusive experience for Deaf spectators. It is a shining example of LTA’s vision of reaching a wider audience and we hope it will inspire others, to ensure that sport can be enjoyed by all.”