Making conversations more accessible.

Gestura is developing a mobile-first app that aims to improve everyday communication between Deaf British Sign Language (BSL) users and hearing individuals. With only a smartphone, our tool will translate between BSL and English in real time, supporting conversations that are spontaneous, private, and inclusive.

Mobile-First

Real-Time

Inclusive

About

Who we are and why we exist

Gestura Technologies Ltd was founded in Scotland to address one of the most persistent accessibility barriers: communication between Deaf BSL users and hearing individuals.

Despite legal recognition of BSL, many Deaf people still face exclusion in education, healthcare, employment, and daily life. Interpreter shortages, high costs, and the limitations of written English as a substitute for BSL reinforce inequality.

Our goal is to provide a practical, scalable, and affordable alternative. By using AI, computer vision, and a custom 3D avatar, Gestura is developing a mobile-first platform that allows two-way translation:

Sign-to-Speech/Text

A Deaf user signs in front of their phone, which is translated into spoken and written English.

Speech/Text-to-Sign

A hearing person speaks or types, which is translated into animated, fluent BSL.

Gestura is co-created with the Deaf community and supported by academic expertise from the University of the West of Scotland. Our approach is built on lived experience, research partnerships, and the principle that accessibility should be a default, not an afterthought.

Impact & Ethics

Our values and commitments

Gestura is still in development, but accessibility and inclusion guide every stage of our work. We want to create technology that is culturally respectful, ethically designed, and useful in real-world situations.

Not a replacement for interpreters

Interpreters remain essential. Gestura is designed to provide access in situations where they are not available.

Focus on equality

We aim to reduce communication barriers in education, healthcare, and employment, creating more equal opportunities for Deaf people.

Ethical use of AI

We develop our technology responsibly, with input from Deaf individuals and accessibility experts, ensuring cultural respect and accuracy.

Data protection

All development follows GDPR standards, with user privacy, security, and transparency at the centre.

Co-creation with the community

Gestura is shaped with, not for, the Deaf community through workshops, testing, and lived experience.

Accessibility by default

Core features will remain free for individual users. Accessibility should never depend on financial barriers.

Sustainability

Our software-only approach avoids specialised hardware, making the solution affordable, scalable, and environmentally conscious.

Transparency and accountability

We will be open about our progress, our limitations, and the steps we are taking to improve.

Continuous learning

We recognise that technology alone cannot solve exclusion. We are committed to listening, adapting, and improving as we grow.

Our work has already been recognised through early-stage funding from the University of the Highlands and Islands. We have ongoing funding competitions such as the Converge KickStart Challenge and more. These milestones confirm both the demand for our solution and the progress of our Proof of Concept.

News & Updates

Progress so far

Gestura is in its Proof of Concept phase, in partnership with the University of the West of Scotland.

Co-design workshops

Working directly with Deaf users to shape our solution

AI Development

Developing sign recognition models and a 3D avatar for translation

Real-world Testing

Testing accuracy, cultural alignment, and usability in real-world settings

2025 Update

Gestura secured early-stage funding through UHI business competitions. We continue to apply for national awards and funding to expand our development.

Get in touch

We welcome ideas, feedback, and collaboration

Whether you are part of the Deaf community, an academic researcher, or an organisation committed to accessibility, we would like to hear from you.

Email

contact@gestura.co.uk