Solihull College & University Centre and John Lewis have teamed up to make retail more inclusive through the use of Sign Language.
John Lewis Partners at the Touchwood store in Solihull have started a bespoke introduction to British Sign Language (BSL) course helping them to better support deaf customers and create a more welcoming shopping experience.
John Lewis Team Manager and Partner, Emma Cartland, explains how the collaboration came about: “The idea of completing a sign language course came about from an interaction from a customer. Here at John Lewis, we want to provide all customers with a great experience, but we fell short when we were trying to support a deaf customer. We couldn’t sign and had limited communication. So, we needed to provide some of the team with training.”
The College’s Adult Skills Team were happy to help set up the bespoke course. Emma continues: “Partners have really enjoyed the course, they have been really engaged and some have signed up for the ten-week course at the College. We had a partner interact with a customer the other day, and not only did the customer really value the experience but the partner felt empowered. One partner said this has been an invaluable session and one they have gratefully appreciated. A big thank you to the team for putting on such great training, we hope to continue the training with a new group of partners in the New Year.”
Shamira Bolia from the Adult Skills Team at the College, commented: “It’s been great to see enthusiastic engagement from John Lewis Partners, who embraced practical, hands-on learning to enhance inclusive customer service.
“It’s been a privilege to be at the forefront of this initiative which reflects the College’s strategic priorities of employer engagement, community inclusion, and lifelong learning, while also supporting West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) goals around inclusive growth, skills development, and accessibility. By investing in workforce upskilling, the partnership demonstrates a shared commitment to building a more inclusive region.
“A special thank you to Shakila Kosar (BSL Tutor) for her outstanding contribution to the project. Her passion for accessibility and staff development was instrumental in its success.”
To find out how the adult skills team can help your business, please contact – adult.skills@solihull.ac.uk
