Ofcom – the communications regulator – has asked call centres to be more sensitive to the needs of disabled callers and warned that their failure to do so could leave them in breach of the Disability Discrimination Act. The Act requires service providers to make reasonable adjustments to enable people to use their services. Ofcom says that its research shows that call centre operators frequently put the phone down on hard of hearing callers or refuse to slow down or speak more clearly when asked to do so. Operators also assume that everyone they speak to can see and refuse to move away from their script. Ofcom emphasised that being able to deal with people on the phone from the comfort of their own home was an important facility for people with disabilities. Ofcom said that more than half of people aged over 60 are hard of hearing and nearly one in ten people in that age group have sight problems.
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