A new app feature is designed to help deaf people book British Sign Language (BSL) interpreters for performances at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The feature is aimed at making access information and interpreter bookings easier for attendees who need them.
Festival organisers’ figures show that accessibility coverage remains limited. Out of more than 3,000 shows at this year’s Fringe, only about 2.4% currently offer BSL interpretation. The app-based booking option is therefore presented as a way to address gaps between demand for interpretation and the shows already staffed with interpreters.
The outlets focus on the same overall development: adding a practical booking route for BSL support while highlighting the relatively small proportion of shows with interpretation in place. The emphasis varies between the outlets mainly in how they frame the scale of the availability, rather than the underlying claim about the new feature and current interpreter coverage.
