Sunderland’s Nissan car factory, who employs more than 6,000 individuals has widened accessibility as staff embark upon their BSL learning journey. Workers at Nissan have started to learn British Sign Language, with the aim to ensure that their deaf colleagues feel more included in their chosen workplace.
Specifically, there are 4 deaf employees who work in Nissan’s bumper paint shop. Consequently, communication barriers have formed. With this in mind, colleagues on their shift asked to learn some BSL so communication was no longer a challenge. Before embarking on their learning, communication relied on lip reading, which deaf operator Mark Connolly stated was “very difficult”.
The BSL course spanned over eleven weeks, where individuals learned the basics in order to boost communication with their colleagues. One of the ten members who initially took the course, Mark Hurst, commented that, “Learning it, we had some funny times, looking at each other, watching each other, you know, how to learn”.
Director of HR, Michael Jude said, “I’m so impressed by the members of the team who have taken it upon themselves to learn a new sign language. It opens up doors to people who might have thought well we couldn’t have had a career in manufacturing but actually, there are adjustments to be made and things we can do to allow that. Hopefully we will see some really good traction from various different communities out there”.
Nissan have carried out other adjustments to their sites to ensure accessibility, for example, by including visual aids in training meetings and briefings.
Overall, efforts from Nissan will help foster a more inclusive environment where Deaf colleagues feel valued and respected. Learning BSL, even the basics, breaks down communications barriers and allows everyone to contribute equally. Additionally, it strengthens teamwork by allowing more effective collaboration. Here at Signature, we hope that more companies and employees will take this approach to their working environment, so that no individual is left out.
