A new skills programme focused on heritage sites intends to create deaf tour guides who are proficient in British Sign Language at one of the United Kingdom’s most historic country houses.

Blenheim Palace has partnered with Heritage Interpreters and City Lit College to introduce the scheme, aiming to enhance accessibility within the heritage sector.

The programme, scheduled to launch in September, will teach deaf individuals how to lead BSL-guided tours at significant national visitor attractions.

Heather Carter, managing director of visitor attraction at Blenheim Palace, explained that although previous successful training courses for deaf BSL guides have been delivered by deaf trainers, the demand for such instruction has continuously exceeded provision and these opportunities have reduced over the past decade.

She said the palace works to make the estate and its narrative as accessible as possible, and this unique partnership to develop a programme that trains additional deaf BSL tour guides marks a logical and necessary progression for them.

She added that they are delighted other heritage sites will subsequently be able to take advantage of this valuable resource.

The announcement follows pilot deaf-led BSL tours that were held in 2025 and 2026, arranged by John Wilson, who himself is a deaf BSL guide.

Enrolment for the programme will open in April via the Heritage Interpreters website.

Participants will receive professional tuition to deliver engaging, authentic tours in BSL, with the goal of expanding the number of deaf-led guides operating at heritage locations throughout Britain.