The NZSL Transport Pilot Journey Case Study

Auckland Transport and Kara Technologies PoC 1 and PoC 2

Co-designing Accessible NZSL Train Alerts for Public Transport 

Introduction 

In 2024, Auckland Transport’s Public Transport Accessibility Group (PTAG) first identified the accessibility barriers many Deaf and Hard of Hearing NZSL users face across public transport systems, where announcements are often audio-only and written disruption updates can be complex or difficult to access in NZSL. 

Together with the Deaf community, Auckland Transport partnered with Kara Technologies to explore real-world ways AI-powered digital human technology could help improve accessible real-time communication for public transport users. 

What began as an early Proof of Concept (PoC) has evolved into a live three-month public trial of NZSL train disruption notifications on Auckland’s Western train line. 

The project has focused on technology development, and also on co-design, accessibility, trust, community partnership, and continuous iteration. 

The Accessibility Challenge 

Public transport systems rely heavily on real-time communication. Train disruptions, delays, cancellations, emergency alerts, and service changes are often delivered quickly through: 

• Audio announcements 

• Screens within stations 

• App notifications 

• Written disruption updates 

For many Deaf and Hard of Hearing NZSL users, these communication methods can create accessibility gaps. 

Audio announcements are often inaccessible, while written updates may rely on jargon-heavy or complex language that is not always easy to process in NZSL. 

PTAG discussions highlighted these ongoing barriers and reinforced the need to explore more accessible approaches to real-time communication. 

Traditional accessibility methods such as interpreters or pre-recorded translated content are often difficult to provide within fast-moving transport environments where information changes rapidly. 

This project became an opportunity to explore whether dynamic AI-powered signed language translation could help support more accessible communication in public transport settings. 

Starting Small - PoC 1 in 2024 

The first phase of the project began in August 2024. The early PoC used existing train disruption announcements and alerts from Auckland Transport, which were translated into NZSL and delivered through MP4 video format using a male digital avatar. 

The purpose of the PoC was to explore whether digital signing technology could help make public transport disruption alerts more accessible for Deaf commuters in real-world situations. 

At the time, Kara’s NZSL technology and NZSL sign database were still in relatively early development. 

The project team understood from the beginning that accessibility technology could not simply be built behind closed doors and delivered to the community later. The team believed that this was going to work only if the Deaf community was to be involved throughout the whole process. 

So instead of focusing only on technical development, the project placed heavy emphasis on: 

• Community discussions 

• PTAG meetings / updates 

• User testing 

• Accessibility workshops 

• Surveys 

The goal was not to prove the technology was perfect. The goal was to learn. 

Community Feedback Shaped the Direction 

The response from the Deaf community was encouraging. Many participants said they could immediately see the potential value of receiving disruption information in NZSL instead of relying only on written text or inaccessible audio announcements. 

There was strong interest in seeing the technology trialled in a real-world public transport environment. 

At the same time, the feedback was also very honest about where improvements were needed. 

The PoC 1 surveys and workshops explored areas including: 

• Ease of understanding 

• NZSL grammar and sign clarity 

• Fingerspelling 

• Visual accessibility 

• Speed and pacing 

• Facial expressions 

• Urgency communication 

• Background colours 

• Place names and transport references 

• Use of captions, maps, and icons 

Participants highlighted many areas that could make the experience stronger, including: 

• Shorter and more concise messages 

• More natural NZSL grammar 

• Better facial expressions 

• Text/subtitle support  

• Playback speed options 

• Cleaner visual layouts by the signer 

Rather than treating the feedback as criticism, Kara Technologies and Auckland Transport saw it as exactly what the project needed. 

The community was helping shape the future direction of the system. 

Next Steps for PoC 2 

PoC 2 started August 2025 and one phrase became central to the project: Moving at the speed of trust. 

For both Kara Technologies and Auckland Transport, trust with the Deaf community mattered more than moving quickly. 

The team recognised early that accessibility projects cannot succeed without genuine community partnership. That meant being transparent about the fact that the technology was still evolving and being willing to adapt when feedback challenged original assumptions. 

The project intentionally took an iterative approach: 

• Test 

• Listen 

• Improve 

• Test again 

And that process continues today. 

The live three-month trial is intentionally not being presented as a perfect final system. Instead, it is being framed as an opportunity for the community to actively use the technology, experience it in the real world, and continue shaping where it goes next. 

The expectation is that there will still be many iterations after trial is launched. 

Accessibility Lessons and Design Changes 

One example of co-design in this project came from something that initially seemed minor: the background colour. 

The original PoC videos used a pink background because pink aligned with Auckland Transport’s disruption alert branding. 

However, community feedback identified that the bright pink background made the signer harder to watch and created visual strain over viewing periods. 

In response, Auckland Transport agreed to change the background to blue to improve accessibility and visual comfort. 

This became an important example of accessibility taking priority over branding consistency. 

Feedback also influenced: 

• Avatar presentation 

• Sign choices 

• Facial expressions 

• Signing speed 

• Use of space and role shift 

• Live subtitle support  

• Visual hierarchy and urgency indicators 

• Grammar and natural NZSL flow 

The project reinforced that accessibility is not only about translation accuracy. 

It is also about usability, comfort, cultural appropriateness, and how people experience information in real-world environments. 

Māori and NZSL Cultural Considerations 

As the project evolved, community discussions extended beyond technical accessibility into deeper conversations around language, identity, and cultural representation. 

Kara Technologies held workshops and hui with Māori Deaf community members to help guide culturally appropriate NZSL usage, avatar development, and sign choices. 

One important area involved place names. 

Kara Technologies deliberately moved toward using Māori NZSL concept signs for locations such as Onehunga, Manurewa, and Manukau, rather than relying on older English-based NZSL signs that had historically been used. 

Feedback gathered through consultations strongly supported this direction, helping ensure the translations better reflected modern NZSL usage and culturally appropriate place-based identity. 

These conversations reinforced that accessibility is not simply about direct translation. It also involves respecting language evolution, culture, identity, and community-led decision making. 

The Avatar Evolved Into Tūī 

As the project developed, the avatar itself also evolved. Following community feedback, the team moved away from the original male avatar and began co-designing a new digital human with the Deaf community, Kara Technologies, and Auckland Transport together. 

The updated avatar changed, with discussions around: 

• Age 

• Hair style 

• Appearance 

• Clothing 

• Personality 

• Cultural identity 

A workshop was held with Tū Kōkiri students and staff at Ko Taku Reo, Deaf Education, a transition class supporting Deaf students aged 16–22 years old. Because the live trial would take place on the Western Line, discussions focused heavily on West Auckland identity and connection to place. 

Students brainstormed ideas inspired by: 

• The Waitākere Ranges 

• Native birds 

• West Auckland culture 

• Community identity 

Ten names were originally suggested. Those names were narrowed to five, and later reduced to two finalists ahead of Auckland Deaf Community Expo at Auckland Deaf Society 2025. 

At the Expo, Auckland Transport and Kara Technologies hosted a public booth where the wider Deaf community could learn about the project, ask questions, see demonstrations, and vote on the avatar’s final name. 

The winning name was Tūī, inspired by the native New Zealand bird often associated with West Auckland and the Waitākere region. 

Kara Technologies and Auckland Transport intend to continue involving the community by inviting feedback on a future sign name for Tūī once the live trial begins. 

Why the Western Line Was Chosen 

The Western Line was selected very intentionally. A large proportion of Auckland’s Deaf community lives in South and West Auckland, and the Western Line provides key access to: 

• Ko Taku Reo Deaf Education services 

• Deaf Aotearoa offices 

• Universities and tertiary providers 

• Community hubs and transport links 

West Auckland was ultimately seen as the area where the trial could create the strongest accessibility impact for the largest number of likely users. 

The decision to focus on only one train line for the initial three-month trial was also deliberate. Starting with a single line helps minimise operational risk while allowing the teams to: 

• Test real-world workflows 

• Gather focused feedback 

• Observe how users interact with the system 

• Continue listening to feedback and refining the technology  

Dynamic AI Translation, Not Templates 

From the beginning, Kara Technologies believed in building dynamic AI translation systems rather than relying on fixed templated announcements. Public transport information changes constantly: 

• Delays and cancellations happen unexpectedly 

• Alternative journey planning options are provided in real time 

• Individual stations may experience different impacts to the rest of the railway line 

Because of this, the long-term vision was always about creating technology capable of handling dynamic live announcements in signed language. 

To our knowledge, this is the first real-world trial in the Southern Hemisphere where live public transport alerts are dynamically translated into AI-generated signed language and delivered through a transport authority's customer-facing mobile app. Unlike approaches based on pre-recorded or templated content, the system generates NZSL translations from live operational alerts as they are issued. 

The significance of the project is not only the avatar itself, but the attempt to integrate signed language accessibility directly into real-time transport communication systems. 

The Role of the NZSL Database and NFDHH Support 

One of the biggest factors enabling the project’s progress was the continued growth of Kara’s NZSL database. 

Support through the NZSL DB initiative and funding from NFDHH significantly accelerated development during 2024–2026. 

This support helped expand: 

• Sign coverage 

• Transport terminology 

• Contextual signing 

• Cultural sign choices 

• Te reo Māori mouth shape abilities 

The funding also allowed Kara Technologies to grow its NZSL team substantially. That larger team played an important role in: 

• Reviewing sign choices 

• Refining grammar 

• Improving natural language flow 

• Ensuring cultural appropriateness 

• Supporting ongoing AI development 

Delays Allowed More Time to Improve 

The original live trial was planned for September 2025. However, the launch shifted to June 2026. 

While delays can be frustrating in projects, the additional time created important opportunities. 

The extended timeline allowed: 

• More testing 

• Further NZSL database development 

• Better grammar refinement 

• Additional accessibility improvements 

• Expanded technical integration work 

Rather than rushing deployment, the project gained more time to mature before entering a live environment. 

The Live Trial and What Comes Next 

The three-month live trial marks an important milestone in the project journey. 

For Auckland Transport and Kara Technologies, the trial is not being viewed as a finished product, but as the next stage of learning alongside the Deaf community. 

The project team understands there will continue to be improvements, refinements, and iterations as the technology is used in real-world public transport environments. 

Throughout the live trial, Auckland Transport and Kara Technologies plan to continue: 

• Community engagement events 

• Public demonstrations 

• Gathering feedback through surveys 

• User testing 

• Accessibility discussions 

• Ongoing iteration based on lived experience 

Both the Deaf community and the wider public will be encouraged to provide feedback throughout the pilot. 

Kara Technologies plans to actively review feedback on an ongoing basis throughout the trial and make iterative improvements where possible. This includes refining: 

• Translation style 

• Sign choices 

• Grammar and language flow 

• Visual presentation 

• Accessibility approaches 

• User experience elements 

• 
  

The intention is for the community to not only provide feedback, but also to visibly see progression, growth, and improvements as the trial continues. 

The project remains grounded in: 

• Co-design 

• Community trust 

• Transparency 

• Cultural respect 

• Continuous improvement 

The goal has never been perfection on day one. 

The goal has been to create a safe and open environment where accessibility can continue evolving with help from the community.  We will continue updating this case study as the project evolves and will share a follow-up after the live trial is complete. A special thanks to Auckland Transport for identifying the accessibility gap and committing to a real-world solution, one that isn’t just theoretical, but tested in real practice.