The use of official signs has also had an important impact on the private sector. Sense of Place scheme offers financial support for private bilingual signs and particularly favours 'cluster schemes' where all the businesses in a particular neighbourhood apply for funding on in order to make a stronger visual impact. Bilingual signs contribute to 'a sense of place', a clear selling point for visitors. Public and village signs in Gaelic are used only in the Western Isles, while bilingual signs are to be found in parts of the Highland Council, and Argyll and Bute Council areas. Bilingual signs are also now being used by some government offices in the Gaelic-speaking areas.
Bilingual signs are also a common sight in many British schools.
If everyone is to understand their entitlements, public information needs to be translated into many different languages, as suggested by the montage of leaflets and brochures illustrated here. Their translators regularly deal with signage, council documents, standard letters to parents, letters from the housing department, and publicity materials for social services. They recently completed a phrase book in 28 different languages for the London Ambulance Service. Most people are happy that their mother tongue has greater visibility. As the director of Learning Design, Eddie McParland, explained, 'It's a way of enabling them to pass their language on to their children - it gives it validation'.