Serve every customer with confidence, including the 1 in 4 with a disability
Practical skills for phone, chat and email: what to say, what to avoid, and how to handle relay and interpreted calls.
About 2 hours, at your own pace28 short videosCaptions and transcriptsFrom Accessibility.com
Built for the moments that matter on the job
- A call comes in with an interpreter on the lineLessons 23 to 25
- You are not sure which words to useLessons 17 to 20
- A chat customer is slow to replyLesson 27
- A caller asks for something in another formatLesson 26
- A customer cannot use the websiteLessons 14 to 16
- Your reply has to work for everyoneLessons 21, 22 and 28
What you'll be able to do
- Handle relay (TRS, VRS) and interpreted calls with confidence
- Choose respectful, plain language on the phone, in chat and by email
- Recognise the main types of disability and the barriers each one meets
- Ask instead of assume, and adapt to each customer
- Explain the ADA's basics and why accessible service matters
Who it is for: Customer service representatives, team leads, and managers on virtual and remote customer service teams who support customers by phone, chat, and email.
See how it teaches
A full lesson, free to watch.
Course outline
7 parts, then a final test. About 2 hours in all.
Part 1: Introduction . 4 videos
- 1. Welcome to accessible customer serviceAn introduction to the course and what you will learn.
- 2. What is accessible customer serviceWhat it means to give every customer equal access to help.
- 3. Why you are so critical to inclusion and accessibilityHow customer service representatives shape whether customers with disabilities are included.
- 4. Why focus on accessibility in customer serviceThe business, legal, and human reasons accessibility matters in service.
Part 2: Understanding disability . 4 videos
- 5. The Americans with Disabilities ActThe law that protects the rights of people with disabilities and what it means for service teams.
- 6. What is a disabilityA working definition of disability and the range of experiences it covers.
- 7. Overview of disability statistics and informationHow many people have disabilities and why that matters for your customers.
- 8. No two people are exactly the sameWhy every customer's needs and preferences are individual.
Part 3: Types of disabilities . 5 videos
- 9. Introduction to disabilities related to visionBlindness and other variations in eyesight, and how they affect a customer's experience.
- 10. Introduction to disabilities related to hearingDeafness and hearing loss, and how they affect communication.
- 11. Introduction to disabilities related to mobilityPhysical disabilities and how they affect the way customers use technology.
- 12. Introduction to disabilities related to speechSpeech disabilities and how to communicate patiently and effectively.
- 13. Introduction to disabilities related to cognition or intellectCognitive and intellectual disabilities and how to make information easier to follow.
Part 4: Digital accessibility and assistive technology . 3 videos
- 14. Digital accessibility is an important aspect of web equalityWhy accessible websites and apps are essential to equal access.
- 15. Websites and all digital content have to work for people with disabilities and their assistive technologyWhat makes digital content usable for everyone.
- 16. What is assistive technologyScreen readers, magnifiers, voice control, and other tools customers rely on.
Part 5: Communication and language . 6 videos
- 17. The words a customer service representative chooses are importantHow language affects the way customers feel and respond.
- 18. Respect the individual's identity preferencesFollowing each customer's lead on how they describe themselves.
- 19. Avoid being overly positive or negativeKeeping language neutral, respectful, and free of pity or praise.
- 20. Generalizations and assumptions are limiting and counterproductiveWhy assumptions about disability get in the way of good service.
- 21. Plain language can save time and avoid confusionHow clear, simple language helps every customer.
- 22. Tips for using plain languagePractical techniques for writing and speaking clearly.
Part 6: Relay and interpreting services . 3 videos
- 23. Telecommunications relay serviceHow TRS calls work and the main forms of relay service.
- 24. Video relay serviceHow VRS connects sign language users with phone support.
- 25. Video remote interpretingHow VRI provides on-demand sign language interpretation.
Part 7: Communication channels . 3 videos
- 26. Great phone communication is essential to customer serviceBest practices for accessible phone support.
- 27. Accessible chat best practicesHow to keep live chat clear and usable for everyone.
- 28. Accessible email best practicesHow to write emails that are accessible and easy to understand.
Final test: 54 questions, pass at 80%. Missed something? You are shown the part to rewatch, then you try again.
Your certificate
Pass the final test for a Certificate of Completion from Accessibility.com with your name on it: a page anyone can use to check it, a PDF, and one click to add it to LinkedIn.
Questions
How long does it take?
About 2 hours in total, at your own pace: 28 short videos (39 minutes), 2 practice questions after each, and a final test. Expect between an hour and a half and two and a half hours. Stop any time and pick up where you left off.
Is the course itself accessible?
Every video has captions and a full transcript, and the course works with a keyboard and screen readers.
What do I need to pass?
80% on the final test. If you miss some, you are shown the parts to rewatch and you try again.
How long do I have access?
One year from the day your place is given. A certificate you earn keeps working after that.
$149
One person. Certificate of Completion from Accessibility.com.
Training a team? From $89 a person. Team pricing