Arnold Clark teams up with SignVideo

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Arnold Clark has partnered with SignVideo to enable them to communicate with members of the Deaf community using SignVideo BSL Live.

BSL Live is a secure and easy-to-use British Sign Language (BSL) online video interpreting service. By simply clicking on a BSL Live icon on the Arnold Clark website, Deaf BSL users will connect to a professional BSL interpreter within minutes and have their call relayed to Arnold Clark customer services.

With over 8000 staff across 200 branches nationwide and a turnover of £2 billion, Arnold Clark is proud to be Europe’s largest independent motor dealer. Being such a large company, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is extremely important to them.

Eddie Hawthorne, Arnold Clark Managing Director said, “Arnold Clark is delighted to be the first motor dealer to increase the accessibility for Deaf or Hard of Hearing people who use British Sign Language, who up until now have been unable to interact with the business via this channel.”

In 2014, SignVideo celebrated its 10th anniversary of delivering professional online sign language interpreting services nationally and internationally. Being a deaf-founded, deaf-owned and deaf-led organisation with its home in the BSL community, SignVideo is the UK’s leading Video Relay Service provider and perfectly positioned as a bridge between BSL and English.

Jeff McWhinney, SignVideo’s Founder and Chair said, “Arnold Clark are to be applauded for their vision and innovativeness, partnering with SignVideo to open up telephone access to its call centres for the UK’s deaf BSL-using community. They are the first in this industry sector to recognise this business opportunity and to create and make inroads into this new and untapped customer market segment. SignVideo is about enabling local and national businesses to follow suit by using the latest video technology to demolish barriers to full participation and inclusion for deaf people.”

Arnold Clark offers car sales, servicing, MOT & repairs, parts and accessories, tyres, car rental and insurance, all of which can now be discussed in sign language through the BSL Live link or booked online Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm.

Find the BSL Live link here: arnoldclark.com/customer-services

About SignVideo

SignVideo provides British Sign Language (BSL) video interpreting services to enable communication between the community of over 150,000 deaf BSL users in the UK and hearing people. The service allows users to make and receive BSL interpreted video calls so that they can effectively and effortlessly communicate with each other. This happens through a professional video interpreter who relays the call between BSL and English and the service is available instantly on tablets, smartphones, computers and laptops via apps and software. SignVideo demolishes existing barriers facing service providers, businesses, work colleagues and family wanting to hold conversations with deaf BSL-using people.  In addition, SignVideo has reduced the previous waiting time of up to six weeks for a BSL interpreter to be available, down to less than 30 seconds.

SignVideo not only pioneered this revolutionary communications solution in the UK but now leads the way in bringing access and inclusion via ‘Video Based Interpreting’ to the BSL community. With a strong presence in the VRS (Video Relay Services) market in the UK, SignVideo is a highly reputable provider with its video call centres and remote interpreters conducting over 20,000 BSL interpreted video calls a year. SignVideo underpins its service with experienced, fully qualified and registered BSL interpreters, Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and ISO 9001, 14001 and 27001 quality certifications.

Born in 2004, SignVideo is led by Jeff McWhinney, a well-known deaf entrepreneur who fights tirelessly for equality of the deaf and hearing community. Today, SignVideo, a predominantly deaf-led organisation, provides their service to the government, NHS, councils, UK banks, telecommunications providers, helplines and many other types of organisations.

Notes to editors: 

  1. Read more and connect with us on social media at www.signvideo.co.uk.
  2. Jeff McWhinney is available for comment and interview on request through the press office.
  3. Press office contact:
    Karan Hopper, Head of Marketing
    karan@signvideo.co.uk
    +44 (0) 208 4631137