Guidance for businesses and organisations providing contact details

Guidance for businesses and organisations providing contact details

In order to be fully accessible, your organisation should make sure that when publishing contact details, you include communication channels that are usable by deaf, hard of hearing and speech-impaired people.

We recommend the following:

1. There are many users of textphones out there for whom providing a textphone access number would be of great value. Letterheads, websites, business cards and other places where contact details are provided should therefore include a textphone number.
   However, when offering textphone access, you should ensure that textphone users have equivalent access to your services. Telephone conversations are often forwarded, while some organisations use interactive voice systems that are inaccessible to deaf people. Every endeavour should be made to make sure that textphone users can obtain the same information and service through the textphone as hearing people can via the voice contact number. Using RNID's TalkByText Business Edition in your call centre can contribute to making it more accessible.
   RNID's technology team can help you implement a proper equivalent textphone service.
2. Contact details should also mention how to use voice contact numbers via RNID Typetalk, the UK's national relay service. Such advice could be presented like this: "Textphone users can contact this number through the RNID Typetalk relay service by dialling 18001 020 7123 4567"
3. You should therefore allow deaf and hard of hearing people to contact your services by means of a relay operator. You should be aware that relay operators are bound by a strict code of confidentiality. Although relay operators can explain the practice and etiquette of holding a relay conversation with a deaf person, it is desirable to provide specific guidance or training to at least your key frontline staff.
4. You should also be aware that users of British Sign Language (BSL) might want to dial your numbers using a Video Relay service.
5. You should always offer email access as an alternative to voice based contact details, although not all users will be able to use email. The provision of an email contact does not remove the need for having textphone access.
6. Similarly, you could consider making your organisation accessible via SMS. SMS is a mainstream, widespread service that is widely used, not just by deaf and hard of hearing people, but by the rest of society as well. There are many different solutions available on the market, including RNID's own TalkByText Business Edition product, to offer SMS access to your customers, clients or other stakeholders.

For more information, please Contact Us.

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