The Scottish Government’s British Sign Language National Plan 2023–2029 sets out an ambitious objective: to make Scotland the best place in the world for BSL users to live, work, visit and learn.
At VideoWorks Glasgow we welcome the plan and its recognition that accessible communication is essential to genuine participation in public life.
BSL Is a Language, Not an Optional Extra
For many Deaf and Deafblind people in Scotland, British Sign Language is their first or preferred language. BSL has its own grammar, structure and cultural identity; it is not simply spoken English converted into signs it is a language on itself.
This matters when organisations are deciding how to make their videos accessible. Captions are valuable, but they do not replace BSL for people who access information most naturally through sign language.
The Scottish Government’s plan recognises the importance of providing essential information in BSL and enabling people to engage with services using their own language. It also calls for the lived experiences of BSL users to help shape how services are delivered. Read the BSL accessibility commitments.
The Right Information at the Right Time
One of the plan’s most important principles is that accessible information should be available in the correct format and at the time it is needed.
A BSL version published weeks after the original video does not provide equal access. Accessibility should therefore be considered during planning—not treated as an addition once a campaign has already launched.
For video producers and commissioning organisations, this means:
- Including accessibility in the original brief
- Consulting BSL users where appropriate
- Allowing space for an interpreter within the composition
- Using clear graphics that do not compete with signing
- Preparing scripts and reference material for interpreters
- Producing accessible versions alongside the principal film
- Publishing every version at the same time
These decisions are easier, more effective and often more economical when made before production begins.
Better Access to Public Information
The national plan covers ten priority areas, including health and wellbeing, employment, education, transport, justice and democratic participation. Across these areas, timely and understandable information can have a direct effect on people’s ability to use services and make informed decisions. View the plan’s priorities.
Video can play an important role in delivering that information. Public bodies, healthcare providers, educational institutions, transport organisations and charities can produce BSL versions of:
- Public-inforation campaigns
- Healthcare and wellbeing guidance
- Training and educational resources
- Transport and safety information
- Consultations and policy announcements
- Service explainers
- Conference presentations
- Emergency communications
The plan specifically seeks improved access to Scottish Government website information and the sharing of learning across the wider public sector. This creates an opportunity for accessible video to become a normal part of public communication rather than a specialist exception.
Accessibility Means Offering Choices
Not every Deaf or hard-of-hearing person uses BSL, and no single format will meet every audience’s requirements. An inclusive video strategy may combine:
- British Sign Language interpretation
- Closed captions or subtitles
- Audio description
- Accessible transcripts
- Plain-language versions
- Multilingual subtitles or voiceovers
- Carefully designed graphics and on-screen text
Providing a range of formats gives audiences greater choice over how they access and understand information.
Representation Matters Too
We’ve learned that accessibility is about more than placing an interpreter in the corner of a completed film. It also concerns who participates in the creative process, whose experiences are represented and whether BSL users have an opportunity to influence the finished communication.
Where appropriate, organisations should involve BSL users during research, scripting, testing and review. This supports the national plan’s emphasis on lived experience and helps ensure that content is useful, respectful and culturally informed.
Our Commitment at VideoWorks Glasgow
We believe accessible video should be clear, engaging and creatively integrated into the production—not treated as a secondary version of the “main” film.
VideoWorks Glasgow can incorporate BSL interpretation, captions, audio description, transcripts and multilingual delivery into new productions. We can also create accessible versions of existing films, animations, training resources, event recordings and public-information content.
Scotland’s BSL National Plan provides an important direction of travel. Turning that ambition into everyday practice will require public bodies, businesses, charities and creative companies to consider accessibility in every communication decision.
For us, the principle is straightforward: important information should reach everyone.
Do you want to make Your Next Video More Accessible?
If your organisation is planning a campaign, training resource, event, animation or public-information film, talk to VideoWorks Glasgow about building accessibility into the project from the beginning. We’d love to be involved.