Blackburn with Darwen Council is stepping up its drive to ensure digital inclusion for all its residents with a new initiative to support the deaf and hard of hearing access the latest information technology.

Borough digital boss Cllr Mahfooz Hussain revealed to colleagues the town hall had worked with the Blackburn Deaf Village North-West in Preston Old Road to produce a British Sign Language (BSL) version of its latest leaflet 'Digital Support For All'.

He told Thursday night's Council Forum meeting: "A long-term piece of partnership work aimed at helping people in Blackburn with Darwen without digital devices, internet connections or digital skills to get online has been launched in the last few months.

"The council and its partners are taking forward a range of key actions with activity aimed at enabling people who don’t currently operate online – or have limited access – to get on the internet, access usable digital devices and build their skills and confidence to access information and digital services.

"The first phase of this work has seen a new leaflet – Digital Support For All – produced and shared with local stakeholders and partners who support residents with lower levels of digital skills as well as council members.

"The leaflet signposts people to the local organisations and support services that can help them.

"The roll-out of this has been a success with key accomplishments so far including the team at Blackburn Deaf Village distributing the digital inclusion information and producing their own BSL version of the leaflet to share with clients as well as Together Housing giving leaflets to neighbourhood outreach officers for onward sharing.

"The council’s executive board also has approved a strategy to donate old council laptops for reuse in the local community.

"We are working with The Making Rooms to support the redistribution.

"The launch of the leaflet is one part of a wider digital inclusion action plan, which is currently being worked up and includes ambitious plans over the next 12 months to provide practical and meaningful changes to help our residents."

Conservative regeneration spokesman and Livesey with Pleasington councillor Paul Marrow said: "It's great to know that we are trying to digitally include people and it's good to see that the Deaf Hub in Blackburn in Feniscowles in our ward is active in this and producing a sign language version.

" It's very good that we make it as inclusive as possible and that we include people with all sorts of disabilities and learning problems and hearing problems."