The world marks the International Day of Persons with Disabilities on 3 December. At TLScontact, it serves to remind us of our commitment to meet the diverse needs of every one of our visa applicants.
The World Health Organization estimates that 1.3-billion people – 16% of the global population – experience significant disability. That we serve persons with disabilities is thus the rule, not the exception.
From the visa application centres we operate on behalf of our government clients to our websites, our view is that accessibility for persons with disabilities must be no less convenient, dignified or safe than it is for anyone else.
That approach extends to our own staff. In the UK, we are officially certified a Disability Confident Employer and like our parent company, Teleperformance Group, we are committed to supporting staff with disabilities, wherever they might be.
Accessible visa application centres
When it comes to our visa application centres, we apply strict criteria in selecting premises that make provision for persons with disabilities. This includes wheelchair users, people with limited walking abilities, the sightless, the partially sighted and the hearing impaired.
If necessary, we upgrade premises to be more accessible, and we regularly review centre accessibility based on feedback we receive from customers, consular officials and our own staff.
Standard features of our centres are:
- Step-free access from the street, otherwise fixed ramps (built of non-slip material, with handrails and gradients not exceeding eight degrees of incline) or mobile access ramps where fixed ramps are not possible
- Elevators with seated height controls/buttons
- Designated disabled parking spaces close to VAC access points, offering a width of over 3.6m
- Automatic doors
- Washroom facilities that offer slip-resistant flooring, moveable grab-bars, automatic water controls, space for wheelchair manoeuvrability and help buttons
- Clearly marked, barrier-free evacuation routes with tactile floor markings
- Visual and audible fire alarm systems
- Clear signage that avoids colours that make perception difficult, or that incorporates braille
- Visual contrast between floors, walls and doors
- Hearing induction loop systems on dedicated counters
- Adjusted counter heights in all operational zones with larger access points for wheelchair users.
All of our sites are compliant with the ISO 45001 Occupational Health and Safety standard, and staff are trained on how to welcome persons with disabilities.
Accessible websites
Accessibility extends to our online visa portal, which is compliant with the World Wide Web Consortium’s Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. Our websites are designed to be used by customers with disabilities, with clear, user-friendly content that can be navigated by keyboard only, or using speech recognition software or a screen reader for the sight impaired.
A dedicated section on our online registration form also allows persons with disabilities to contact us when they are booking an appointment and declare any needs they might have, so that we can assign appropriately trained staff to meet them when they arrive.
When considering how best to adapt our services to meet the needs of people with disabilities, we can also rely on support and expertise from across the Teleperformance Group. It recently demonstrated its ongoing commitment in this area with the acquisition of ‘ZP Better Together’, a market leader in language services to the deaf and hard of hearing.
Worldwide, TLScontact aspires to be a leader in customer experience management. We take pride in assisting visa applicants on their journey – and that starts before they even arrive at one of our visa application centres.