🔴 Live PA — View Airport Announcements 📊 Aviation Analytics Dashboard
Now live at Ottawa International Airport (YOW)

Making every
announcement
accessible.

Spoke delivers real-time airport PA announcements as text directly to passengers' smartphones—in the language of their device, including sign language support. No missed flights. No missed information.

I am…

📢
Spoke Live
Ottawa Intl · YOW
Gate B12 · AC445
Final boarding call for Air Canada flight 445 to Toronto. All passengers please proceed to Gate B12 immediately.
🇬🇧 EN
2 seconds ago
Terminal 2 · Security
Veuillez vous diriger vers la zone de sécurité principale. Des retards sont attendus.
🇫🇷 FR
45 seconds ago
Baggage Claim · Belt 4
Baggage from WS202 arriving on Belt 4. Estimated wait: 8 minutes.
🤟 ASL
2 min ago

Watch how Spoke works.

See how Spoke transforms airport PA announcements into real-time text and sign language on passengers' smartphones — from the PA system to the passenger's pocket in under 10 seconds.

50+
Languages supported
466M
People with hearing loss globally
200+
Deaf & hard of hearing organizations engaged
YOW
First live airport deployment

Trusted by & partnered with

Ottawa Airport
Deployment Partner
Metcove
Parent Company
CHHA Canada
Community Advisor
NAD Affiliate
Validation Partner

Solutions built for
your role

Whether you manage an airport, operate a carrier, or are a passenger who needs to stay informed, Spoke was built for you.

🏢

For Airport Authorities

Meet your accessibility obligations while improving the passenger experience for all travellers—from regulatory compliance to Canand's ACA requirements.

Learn more →
✈️

For Airlines

Ensure bilingual announcements reach every passenger—including those who can't hear the PA—and reduce regulatory risk across your network.

Learn more →
📱

For Passengers

Never miss an announcement again. Real-time airport updates in your language, delivered silently to your smartphone the moment they're made.

Learn more →
Live Deployment · Ottawa International

The YOW story:
Accessibility in action.

Ottawa International Airport (YOW) became Spoke's first live deployment partner, making it one of the first airports in Canada to deliver real-time accessible announcements at scale.

The deployment was driven by a shared commitment to inclusivity and validated directly with deaf and hard of hearing community organizations before launch.

50+
Languages in production
24/7
Live announcement coverage
<10s
Avg. delivery latency
ASL
Sign language support included
YOW
Ottawa Macdonald–Cartier International Airport
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
"Spoke gives passengers who are deaf or hard of hearing the same access to information as everyone else—instantly and without assistance."

— YOW Airport Operations

Everything you need
to close the gap.

Spoke's platform is designed for rapid integration, multi-language delivery, and measurable accessibility outcomes.

Real-Time Delivery

Announcements are transcribed and pushed to passenger devices within seconds of the original PA broadcast.

🌐

50+ Languages

English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Inuktitut, Creole—with more added continuously.

🤟

Sign Language Support

ASL and LSQ (langue des signes québécoise) support, uniquely serving Canada's deaf community.

🔌

Simple Integration

Connects to existing PA and flight information systems via API. No rip-and-replace. Minimal IT overhead.

WCAG 2.1 AA Compliant

The app and admin interface are fully accessible, meeting international web content accessibility standards.

🔒

Privacy by Design

No personal data collected from passengers. Anonymous, opt-in usage with full transparency.

Ready to make your airport accessible?

Join Ottawa International and bring real-time accessible announcements to your terminal.

Download the App

How It Works

From PA system to passenger's
pocket in under 10 seconds.

Spoke bridges the gap between airport announcements and passengers who can't hear them—using a simple, powerful integration that works with your existing infrastructure.

Simple for airports.
Life-changing for passengers.

1

PA Announcement is Made

A gate agent, airline, or airport operations team makes a standard announcement through the existing PA or flight info system.

2

Spoke Captures & Transcribes

Spoke's platform receives the audio or text feed in real time and processes it through its transcription and translation engine.

3

Instant Multilingual Delivery

The announcement is pushed to the Spoke app in the passenger's preferred language—text, sign language animation, or both—within seconds.

4

Passenger Stays Informed

Regardless of hearing ability, language, or location in the terminal, every passenger gets the same information at the same time.

Source
🔊 Airport PA / Gate Agent System
Spoke Platform
⚡ Transcribe · Translate · Deliver
Passenger receives
"Final boarding call for AC445 to Toronto, Gate B12."
🇬🇧 English 🇫🇷 Français 🤟 ASL 🇩🇪 Deutsch 🇪🇸 Español +45 more →
01

Integration with existing systems

Spoke connects via API to your existing PA broadcast system, flight information display system (FIDS), or both. No hardware replacement. No major IT project. Our team handles the integration with your operations team in a structured onboarding process.

02

Passengers download & onboard

Travellers download Spoke (currently available on iPhone) before or at the airport. The app uses the airport's Wi-Fi or cellular connection, detects the airport location, and begins delivering announcements. No account required—privacy by design.

03

Announcements delivered in real time

Every gate announcement, security alert, and baggage update is delivered to the passenger's device within seconds. Passengers can filter by gate, flight number, or terminal zone.

Built for the community it serves.

Spoke was developed in close collaboration with deaf and hard of hearing community organizations across Canada. Every feature is tested and validated by the people who need it most.

See Spoke in action at YOW

Read how Ottawa International deployed Spoke—and what it meant for their passengers.

For Airport Authorities

Meet your accessibility obligations while improving the passenger experience for all travellers.

Canada's Accessible Canada Act, the US Americans with Disabilities Act, and the EU European Accessibility Act all set clear obligations for airports and transport hubs. Spoke helps you meet and exceed them all—while delivering a better experience for every passenger who walks through your doors.

Your regulatory obligations, solved.

Spoke addresses the communication accessibility requirements under the Accessible Canada Act (ACA) and provincial accessibility legislation—turning compliance from a checkbox into a genuine passenger benefit.

🇨🇦 Accessible Canada Act (ACA)

Spoke helps fulfill communication accessibility obligations for federally regulated transportation authorities in Canada, ensuring PA information is available in accessible formats—supporting ACA Section 6 compliance.

🇨🇦 AODA & Official Languages Act

For Ontario airports, Spoke supports AODA Customer Service Standards. All announcements are delivered in English and French by default, meeting Official Languages Act obligations with zero extra effort.

🇺🇸 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

US airports and airlines operating American routes must provide effective communication for passengers with disabilities under ADA Title II and III. Spoke creates a consistent, defensible accessibility posture across your US operations.

🇺🇸 Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA)

The ACAA requires US airlines to make announcements accessible to passengers with hearing impairments. Spoke provides a modern, scalable path to ACAA compliance without costly PA hardware upgrades.

🇪🇺 European Accessibility Act (EAA)

Effective June 2025, the EAA requires passenger transport services in EU member states to meet accessibility standards including accessible information delivery. Spoke helps European airports and airlines meet EAA obligations proactively.

📋 Documented Compliance Record

Spoke generates reports on announcements delivered, languages used, and app usage—creating a documented accessibility record suitable for ACA, ADA, ACAA, and EAA audits and accessibility plans.

Better for every traveller, not just some.

International passengers, non-native speakers, parents with noisy children, and anyone in a loud terminal all benefit from Spoke—not only those with hearing loss.

Higher passenger satisfaction scores

Airports using accessible communication tools consistently report improved ACI World satisfaction ratings.

Fewer missed flights, fewer complaints

Passengers who receive gate change and boarding notifications on their devices are less likely to miss flights—reducing compensation costs and operational disruption.

🌐

Serve a truly global passenger mix

With 50+ languages supported, Spoke helps airports welcome international travellers and make them feel understood from the moment they land.

Typical airport announcement flow with Spoke
Gate Agent makes boarding announcement
↓ Spoke captures in <5s
Transcribed, translated & formatted
↓ Pushed to devices
📱 Deaf passenger — gets text + ASL
📱 Spanish tourist — gets Spanish text
📱 Parent with headphones — gets notification

Start with a demo tailored to your airport

Our team will walk you through integration, compliance benefits, and what deployment looks like at your terminal.

For Airlines

Ensure bilingual announcements reach every passenger—including those who can't hear the PA.

Regulatory risk from inaccessible announcements is real and growing across every market you fly. From Canada's ACA and the US ACAA to the EU's European Accessibility Act, Spoke gives you one solution that meets the accessibility communication requirements of all major aviation regulatory frameworks.

The cost of inaccessible announcements is rising.

Canadian and international transportation regulations increasingly require carriers to provide accessible communication. Non-compliance leads to complaints, audits, fines, and reputational harm.

🇨🇦

CTA & ACA (Canada)

The Canadian Transportation Agency has increasing authority to investigate and penalize carriers for inaccessible communication. The Accessible Canada Act sets proactive accessibility obligations for federally regulated carriers.

🇺🇸

ADA & ACAA (United States)

The Air Carrier Access Act requires airlines to make gate and boarding announcements accessible to passengers with hearing impairments. ADA Title III applies to airport terminal operators. Non-compliance triggers DOT enforcement and civil litigation exposure.

🇪🇺

European Accessibility Act (EU)

In force since June 2025, the EAA mandates accessible information delivery for passenger transport services across all EU member states. Airlines and airports operating European routes face meaningful fines for non-compliance.

🇬🇧

UK Equality Act & CAA Standards

The UK Equality Act 2010 and Civil Aviation Authority accessibility standards require airports and airlines to make reasonable adjustments for passengers with disabilities, including those with hearing impairments.

📰

Reputational & Brand Risk

A single viral incident involving a deaf or hard of hearing passenger missing a critical announcement can generate significant negative media coverage across multiple markets simultaneously.

📋

One Solution, Global Coverage

Spoke gives your legal and compliance teams a single, documented accessibility solution that addresses Canadian, American, European, and UK regulatory requirements across your entire network.

Your gate agents don't
change a thing.

Spoke integrates with existing gate systems. No new scripts. No additional training. Your team makes announcements exactly as they do today—Spoke handles the rest.

Zero operational change for gate staff

Spoke listens to your existing PA feed or connects to your DCS—no change to agent workflows.

Bilingual by default

Every announcement is delivered in English and French automatically, supporting Official Languages Act obligations at no extra effort.

Measurable accessibility reporting

Get deployment reports showing announcements delivered, languages used, and passenger engagement—useful for CTA or ADA compliance documentation.

Spoke for Airlines at a glance
Gate Agent Announcement No change needed
Spoke Platform — <10s delivery
↓ Passengers on your flight receive:
🇬🇧 English 🇫🇷 Français 🤟 ASL/LSQ 🇩🇪 Deutsch 🇪🇸 Español +45 more →
✓ Deaf passenger informed
✓ International traveller informed
✓ Compliance documented

Protect your passengers and your brand.

Schedule a 30-minute call with our airline integration team to discuss how Spoke fits into your ground operations.

Deployments & Case Studies

Where Spoke is making
announcements accessible.

Real deployments. Real airports. Real impact for passengers who've never been able to hear announcements before.

YOW
Ottawa Macdonald–Cartier International Airport
50+
Languages in production
<10s
Avg. announcement latency
24/7
Live coverage
ASL + LSQ
Sign language support
Live Deployment

Ottawa International: First in Canada

Ottawa Macdonald–Cartier International Airport became Spoke's inaugural live airport partner, making it one of the first airports in Canada to deliver real-time accessible PA announcements at scale to passengers' smartphones.

The deployment was driven by Ottawa Airport Authority's commitment to accessibility and a desire to move beyond traditional assistive listening devices to a modern, smartphone-first approach. Integration with the existing PA infrastructure was completed in a structured onboarding process with the Spoke team.

Prior to deployment, Spoke's system was validated with deaf and hard of hearing community organizations across the Ottawa region to ensure the experience met real-world needs—not just regulatory checklists.

Key outcomes

Real-time PA announcements delivered to deaf and hard of hearing passengers' smartphones
English and French bilingual delivery by default—meeting Official Languages Act requirements
ASL and LSQ (Langue des signes québécoise) support included at launch
50+ languages available for international passengers
Community-validated before public launch with deaf organizations
Available free to passengers on iPhone via the App Store

More deployments coming soon.

Spoke is actively working with additional airport authorities and airline partners. Interested in being part of the next chapter?

Become the next accessible airport.

Join Ottawa International and show your passengers that accessibility isn't an afterthought—it's a priority.

About Spoke

Built by people who believe
access is a right, not a feature.

Spoke is a product of Metcove, built to close the information gap for the 466 million people worldwide living with disabling hearing loss.

Our mission: No one should miss critical information because of how they experience the world.

We started with airports because the stakes are high, the problem is clear, and the solution had never been done well. A deaf traveller missing a gate change announcement shouldn't require assistance, a special device, or luck. It should be solved by technology—automatically, quietly, in the language they prefer.

The people behind Spoke.

M

Metcove Founders

Founders, Spoke by Metcove

The Metcove team brings together expertise in accessibility technology, software integration, and community advocacy. Spoke was built after the founding team personally witnessed a deaf family member miss critical travel information—and decided to fix it.

C

Community Advisors

Deaf & Hard of Hearing Community

Spoke's product roadmap and UX decisions are shaped by ongoing input from 200+ deaf and hard of hearing organizations. We don't build for the community without the community.

P

Airport Partners

Operations & Accessibility Teams

Our deployment partners, starting with Ottawa International Airport, co-develop and validate our integration approach—ensuring Spoke works in real-world airport environments from day one.

Our story

Spoke began with a simple, frustrating observation: airports are among the most information-dense environments in the world—and yet passengers who are deaf or hard of hearing regularly miss critical announcements, relying on strangers or missing flights as a result.

The founders of Metcove, a Canadian technology company, saw this gap and recognized that modern smartphones, cloud processing, and multilingual AI had created a real opportunity to solve it. Spoke was the result: a lightweight app that connects to existing airport infrastructure and delivers PA announcements to passengers' devices in real time.

From the earliest prototypes, Spoke was developed with—not just for—the deaf community. Partnerships with deaf and hard of hearing organizations across Canada shaped every product decision, from the sign language feature to the zero-registration privacy model.

Today, Spoke is live at Ottawa International Airport (YOW) and expanding. But our mission stays the same: no announcement missed. No traveller left behind.

Join us in making travel accessible.

Whether you're an airport, airline, or accessibility organization, we'd love to talk.

FAQ

Questions we hear often.

Answers to the questions airport authorities, airlines, and passengers ask most.

Spoke connects via API to your existing PA broadcast infrastructure or flight information display system (FIDS). In most cases, we connect to the audio output feed or a text feed from your announcement management system. No hardware replacement is required. Our team manages the integration with your IT and operations team in a structured onboarding process typically completed in 2–4 weeks.
Essentially none. Gate agents, operations staff, and airline personnel make announcements exactly as they do today. Spoke listens, transcribes, and distributes to passengers automatically. There is no new script, no additional training required, and no change to existing workflows.
Spoke is designed with privacy by default. Passengers do not need to create an account. We do not collect names, email addresses, or personal identifiers. The app uses device location to identify the airport and deliver relevant announcements. Usage analytics are collected in aggregate and anonymized. We do not sell or share passenger data with third parties.
Spoke currently supports English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Inuktitut, Haitian Creole, Arabic, Mandarin, Japanese, Korean, Hindi, Dutch, Polish, Swedish, and 30+ more—covering the world's most-travelled passenger populations. ASL (American Sign Language) and LSQ (Langue des signes québécoise) are also supported. The app automatically delivers announcements in the language set on the user's device.
Spoke is currently available on iPhone (iOS). Android development is on our roadmap. If your deployment has a strong preference for Android, please mention this in your demo request and we can discuss timelines.
Yes. Spoke directly supports communication accessibility obligations across multiple jurisdictions: the Accessible Canada Act (ACA) and Official Languages Act in Canada; the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA) in the United States; the European Accessibility Act (EAA) across EU member states; and the UK Equality Act 2010. Spoke provides audit-ready documentation of announcements delivered, languages used, and app usage for accessibility planning and regulatory review in any of these frameworks.
Yes. Spoke was developed in close collaboration with deaf and hard of hearing community organizations across Canada. Before the YOW airport deployment, the system was tested and validated with community partners in the Ottawa region to ensure the experience met real-world needs. Ongoing feedback from community advisors shapes our product roadmap.
Yes. The Spoke app is designed to meet WCAG 2.1 Level AA accessibility standards. It supports iOS VoiceOver, has sufficient colour contrast ratios, and is navigable by assistive technology. We consider accessibility of the product itself to be as important as the accessibility problem it solves.
Download the Spoke app from the App Store before or at the airport. When you arrive at a participating airport, open the app and it will automatically begin delivering announcements relevant to your area of the terminal. No login required. Announcements appear as text in the language set on your device, with sign language video available for ASL and LSQ.
Yes. The Spoke app is free to download and use for passengers. Airports and operators pay for the integration, which allows them to provide this service to all travellers at no cost.
Spoke is currently live at Ottawa Macdonald–Cartier International Airport (YOW). Additional airports are in the pipeline. The app will notify you when Spoke coverage is available at your current airport.

Have a question we didn't answer?

Reach out to our team directly.

News & Media

Spoke in the world.

Press coverage, deployment announcements, and partner highlights as Spoke expands access to airport announcements for all travellers.

🛫
Deployment Announcement · 2024

Spoke Goes Live at Ottawa International Airport

Ottawa Macdonald–Cartier International Airport deploys Spoke, becoming one of the first airports in Canada to offer real-time accessible PA announcements to deaf and hard of hearing passengers.

Download Spoke @ YOW →
🤟
Community · 2024

Spoke Validated with Deaf Community Organizations Across Canada

Before launching at YOW, Spoke engaged with deaf and hard of hearing organizations to validate the product experience and ensure it met real-world accessibility needs—not just regulatory minimums.

📱
Product · 2024

Spoke Adds ASL and LSQ Sign Language Support at Launch

Unlike text-only solutions, Spoke delivers announcements in ASL and LSQ (Langue des signes québécoise), uniquely serving Canada's deaf community in their primary languages.

Download on App Store →

Press inquiries

For media inquiries, interview requests, or press assets, please contact:

spoke@metcove.com

Contact & Demo

Let's talk accessibility.

Whether you're an airport authority, airline, or accessibility officer, our team will walk you through what Spoke looks like in your environment.

Request a demo.

A 30-minute call with our team covers your current setup, integration requirements, compliance goals, and a live product walkthrough tailored to your context.

📧
📍
Headquarters
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
📱
Download Spoke
App Store (iPhone)

Request a Demo

We typically respond within 1 business day.

This website is built to be accessible.

Spoke by Metcove is committed to ensuring that our website and products are accessible to everyone, including people with disabilities. This site aims to conform to WCAG 2.1 Level AA standards.

We have designed this site with sufficient colour contrast, keyboard navigability, and screen reader compatibility. If you encounter any accessibility barriers, please contact us at spoke@metcove.com.

Ce site web est conçu pour être accessible.

Spoke par Metcove s'engage à s'assurer que notre site web et nos produits sont accessibles à tous, y compris aux personnes handicapées. Ce site vise à se conformer aux normes WCAG 2.1 niveau AA.

Si vous rencontrez des obstacles à l'accessibilité, veuillez nous contacter à spoke@metcove.com.