Sign language interpretation, arranged in under three weeks: how TranslateAble helped SXSW London raise its accessibility game.
SXSW London 2026 brought together some of the world's biggest names for a week of talks, panels and screenings. With sessions ranging from headline conversations to an international film festival strand, the event team wanted its second year to raise the bar on its accessibility services for attendees, and made sign language interpretation for key sessions a priority.
Service
Sign Language Interpretation
Event Organiser
SXSW London
Challenge
*Super* High profile speakers.
Services that maintain brand reputation.
Languages
British Sign Language
"In year one, we used captions across all our stages, but between how hectic that first year was and simply not having a partner in place, sign language interpreting just didn’t happen.
For this year, we made it a priority, at least for some of our key sessions including our headline session with Michelle Obama – to make sure more people could be part of the conversation.
We had great feedback from a number of attendees. We had attendees who knew in advance that interpreters would be on stage, and they were really able to engage with the session because of it. For us, it’s about doing the right thing - making sure we’re supporting attendees from different backgrounds and with different needs.
It was a genuinely last-minute request. I emailed TranslateAble only two weeks before the festival to ask if it was even possible. I wasn’t sure whether, at that notice, they’d have people available, but they were absolutely perfect about it, and everyone at TranslateAble was so easy to deal with.”
“What I’d say is most valuable about working with TranslateAble is the speed and efficiency of everything, right down to how they set up onsite. I’d never worked with sign language interpreters before, only simultaneous interpreting in the past, so I had no idea what the setup involved but the team knew exactly what needed to happen. Our speakers were high-profile, with a lot of security and attention involved, and the interpreters were completely professional throughout.
We’d definitely recommend TranslateAble to other event organisers. We are looking to get them more involved in the sessions and the wider SXSW London events and film festival next year.”
Let’s Chat
Got an event in mind? Not sure where to start? Book in a 30-minute conversation with a member of the TranslateAble team to get started.