Some of Virgin Atlantic's cabin crew have learnt British Sign Language (BSL) to better understand deaf and hard of hearing customers. The airline teamed up with deaf Gladiators star Jodie Ounsley and deaf twin content creators, Hermon and Heroda Berhane, as part of its commitment to ensure every customer has a positive and inclusive travel experience. Virgin Atlantic says it is the only UK airline to offer British Sign Language (BSL) trained cabin crew (which is done through its partnership with Remark!) and it asked the trio to test its services on a flight from London Heathrow to Washington.
The experience was captured in a film to mark International Week of Deaf People which sees Virgin Atlantic BSL trained crew welcoming customers in BSL, assisting with onboard navigation, alerting passengers to onboard announcements and offering assistance with accessible in-flight entertainment. The Big 4-0! đâď¸ We launched with one 747 departing from Gatwick heading to Newark Liberty International Airport. The rest, as they say, is history.
.. A special thank you to our customers for trusting us on the ground and through the skies.
pic.twitter.com/EBVhQhjVqe â virginatlantic (@VirginAtlantic) June 22, 2024 Virgin Atlantic offers BSL-trained cabin crew for those who need it Jodie, who was born deaf and wears a cochlear implant, and Hermon and Heroda, who communicate in BSL, shared their feedback with Virgin Atlanticâs newly created Accessibility Advisory Board which was develo.
