Delivering value to the public sector is in everybody’s interest. JayJay Media understand that, through partnership working, economies of scale can produce substantial savings.

It was this approach that we used to fund a series of public information films in British Sign Language. The partnership was led by East Riding of Yorkshire Council and combined East Riding NHS, Humberside Police, Humberside Fire and Rescue and a number of 3rd sector organisations.

For many deaf and hard of hearing people, sign language is their preferred way of communicating, and therefore the most effective way for organisations to engage with them. Cost has previously been a prohibitive factor in the production of BSL content, with many productions using the cheaper option of a signing interpreter rather than a signing presenter (a BSL user’s equivalent of the evening news delivered in broken English with a thick foreign accent).

It was our intention to deliver bespoke BSL films, placing the end user at the starting point for everything from the script up, and in consultation with BSL users.

Because costs for script writing, filming, studio time, editing, stock footage and the BSL signing presenter could be shared, JayJay Media were able to deliver substantial reduced costs per clip.

We think that this way of working is the future for public spending and that this project is also a great example of serving the needs of a hard to reach community.