Comcast is improving accessibility to their Deaf Customers

This is a partnered post.

As a parent to children with disabilities, we rely on technology to make our lives easier. Comcast has been making strides in improving access to their services to people of ALL ABILITIES. One of our favorite tools is the Voice Remote! Sebby, who has Autism, loves the independence of using his voice to navigate to his favorite shows, without the help of the adult. Independence is important for people of all abilities.

September is National Deaf Awareness Month, and last week I learned a little more about Comcast’s strives to improve the experience for their Deaf customers. Not only did I learn about more about how Comcast is supporting customers with disabilities but how they are sharing how they doing this with other companies. Inclusion isn’t proprietary.

Comcast is just one of seven companies in the United States that provides Deaf customers with a fully inclusive customer support in service in American Sign Language (ASL). In the past, customers had to use a third party service to communicate with Comcast, which often lead to frustration in working with someone who didn’t understand Comcast equipment. A simple request that would take a hearing customer 10 minutes could take over an hour or more!

Not anymore.

This service, which is called ASL NOW and provided by Connect Direct, ensures faster, more accurate results and resolutions for Comcast’s Deaf and hard of hearing customers. In fact, 93% of Deaf customers say it is important to communicate in their native language, ASL,* and report wanting a direct connection to the businesses they use. Based in Spokane, Washington, ACOE supports 30,000+ customer requests a month from individuals with special needs and disabilities. Think about how many more don’t get the support that they need. Having a direct connection is so important. People deserve nothing less.

The ASL NOW team is an extension of the Comcast Accessibility Center of Excellence (ACOE). The team is fully comprised of trained Deaf representatives. The ASL Now representatives are innately familiar with Comcast’s brand and services Not only does this meana better experience for people with disabilities, it’s also creating more jobs within the Deaf and hard of hearing population, which has been historically under-employed and unemployed. That’s a big deal.

It’s important to me that Comcast is a leader in making a difference for ALL of their customers, both as a parent to children with disabilities but also as a long time customer.