Press release
Visit the school website for the BSL translation and a link to the Virtual Tour.
“Deaf Academy students venture into town to trial new virtual tour tool.
A town in Devon is a step closer to becoming fully inclusive thanks to a pioneering new virtual tour tool that has been especially designed for people who are Deaf and have additional needs.
The Deaf Academy in Exmouth is celebrating the launch of the hi-tech new resource as it marks National Sign Language Week this week (16th – 22nd March).
It is the first time that a fully integrated virtual navigation tool, supported by British Sign Language (BSL), has covered an entire town, helping Deaf and disabled people navigate Exmouth with greater confidence and independence.
The cutting-edge new digital tool is the result of an 18-month collaboration between the Deaf Academy and The Virtual Tour Experts, with funding from the National Centre for Accessible Transport (ncat). It is now available online for everyone to use, setting a new national benchmark for inclusive wayfinding across transport hubs, public spaces and town centres, as well as a digital tour of the Deaf Academy’s state-of-the-art facilities.
Each stage of the virtual tour includes BSL translation, ensuring its accessibility for any BSL user wishing to visit or live in the town or wanting to learn more about the Deaf Academy. The digital platform combines immersive 360° imagery, interactive accessibility mapping and BSL-led guidance, allowing users to familiarise themselves with routes, bus stops, facilities and key town centre locations before travelling – reducing anxiety and removing barriers created by text-heavy or audio-only information systems.
In celebrating the launch of the new pilot project, Deaf Academy Partnership and Community Manager Mark Stocks said: “BSL is a first language for more than 150,000 people. About half of our students are residential and come here from across the country. It’s crucial that they and their families are supported with transitioning here. Now we have an amazing and interactive
way to showcase the Deaf Academy’s provision and our local surroundings in a language and way that is accessible.
“This new tool is hugely practical and also shows what a welcoming place Exmouth is. It highlights key areas they might visit and ensures they can see the world-class facilities that we provide at the Academy. It will be a massive help in reassuring and supporting the new students through their transition from their local communities to a truly inclusive town.”
The virtual tour now features on the Academy website’s home page and students have this week been enjoying trialling it both in the classroom and venturing out into town.
The Deaf Academy is a charity that has won awards for innovation and best practices. This year it celebrates its 200th anniversary, as the oldest Deaf school in England. Its students, who are Deaf with additional needs and aged 9 to 25, follow a specialist curriculum that particularly focuses on venturing into the community to support their skills for independence, education, wellbeing, and communication and social development.
One student said: “This virtual tour is brilliant as it’s so accessible. It’s in my language and helps me feel more confident in planning things like transport routes and finding local facilities. It’s empowering!”
Many street signs and traditional directions are not readily accessible to Deaf people whose first language is BSL. Studies show that a hearing child starts primary school with a grasp of around 5,000 words, whereas a Deaf child starts with access to around 500 signs. This gap is known to filter into later life.
From the outset of this project, Deaf students, staff and families at the award-winning Deaf Academy partnered with The Virtual Tour Experts on the designs and final product. So, this tool reflects real journeys, real challenges and real lived experiences.
Neil Henderson, Managing Director of The Virtual Tour Experts, said: “This initiative proves that accessible navigation doesn’t have to be complex — it just has to be designed inclusively from day one. Working alongside the Deaf Academy has allowed us to build something genuinely transformative that can be replicated across the UK.”
The virtual navigation system is now being used to support the Academy’s new admissions, transitions and onboarding process; helping new students and parents explore the campus, plus Exmouth and its transport network, before arrival – fostering independence from day one.
Key features include:
· Town-wide BSL navigation The first UK solution to provide full British Sign Language support across an entire town’s transport hubs and public spaces.
· Immersive ground and aerial imagery 360° photography and drone footage provide visual context, spatial awareness and familiarity.
· Filtered accessibility mapping Users can instantly locate step-free routes, accessible toilets, sunflower-friendly locations and essential facilities.
· Integrated bus-route wayfinding Door-to-door journey planning links destinations with accurate bus routes and stop information.
· Accessibility widget Adjustable contrast, text size and visual preferences to support diverse sensory and neurodiverse needs.
· Scalable platform Built using The Virtual Tour Experts’ patent-pending accessibility engine, the system can be replicated across other towns and transport networks nationwide.
Proven confidence boost:
Previous transport projects delivered by The Virtual Tour Experts show:
· 95% of users report increased travel confidence
· 97% say virtual tours make navigation easier
· Significant reductions in pre-journey anxiety, particularly among neurodiverse users
Setting a national precedent:
Beyond Exmouth, the initiative provides a scalable model for councils, transport operators and tourism bodies seeking to improve accessibility and independent travel.
By launching during British Sign Language Week, the Deaf Academy hopes to spotlight the importance of inclusive design and demonstrate how digital innovation can remove practical barriers to everyday life.”
