26/05/2026
IN THE PRESS
350 Deaf Voices. 2,500 Responses. One Day.
Unzippd shatters records at inaugural DeafExpo 2026, collecting community feedback at a scale never seen before in British Sign Language.
BIRMINGHAM – When DeafExpo opened its doors at Birmingham NEC in 2026, it made history as the first event of its kind in the UK. As official delivery partner, we were there, and we did not hold back.
Over the course of a single day, we collected over 2,500 responses from around 350 Deaf attendees. That is nearly 10% of everyone who walked through the doors, choosing to stop, engage, and share their views in British Sign Language. No clipboards. No written forms. No barriers.
Touchscreens were positioned both at our stand and as roving units across the venue, giving attendees the chance to respond in their native language for the first time at a live national event. The Unzippd team were out in full force, making sure the experience was welcoming, accessible, and genuinely enjoyable.
Rob Troy, CEO and Co-founder of Unzippd, said: “DeafExpo was electric. To stand in a room full of Deaf people and watch them engage with technology that was actually built for them felt like exactly why we started this. Over 2,500 responses in one day at one event is extraordinary, and we already know we can make next year even better.”
The numbers tell their own story. No organisation had previously attempted to collect Deaf community feedback at this scale, in this format, in a single live setting. We did it at the first attempt and the community responded. The respondents represented not just raw volume but a genuine cross-section of Deaf experience rarely captured by mainstream research or consultation tools.
For Unzippd, DeafExpo 2026 was not just a record. It was a proof of concept. The platform was built on the belief that Deaf people are not hard to reach; they are simply underserved by tools that were never designed for them. When the right platform shows up, so does the community.
DeafExpo is confirmed for 2027.
ENDS
Notes to the Editor
Unzippd (est. 2024) is a first-of-its-kind platform that replaces written touchpoints with video, allowing Deaf audiences to share experiences directly in BSL. Founded by BSL Interpreter Rob Troy, the company is Cyber Essentials certified and a UK Government-validated supplier. Unzippd is a "Disability Confident Employer" working to make everyday interactions genuinely inclusive.
DeafExpo 2026 was the inaugural national Deaf community event held at Birmingham NEC, bringing together Deaf people, organisations, and services from across the UK. DeafExpo 2027 is confirmed.
