In this blog, Katie Hanson, Senior Consumer Affairs Manager at Ofcom UK, explains 999BSL – a service introduced in 2022 that allows deaf British Sign Language (BSL) users to access emergency services in their first language. How does 999BSL work, and what was the process of consulting sign language users to ensure the service met their needs? What are the key requirements for 999BSL and how does it ensure equivalent access? What were the challenges, and how did the service overcome these? Find out more below.