Achieving an Inclusive, Accessible Customer Experience

John F. Kennedy once said that a rising tide lifts all boats. When it comes to customer service, digital accessibility is the rising tide. Assistive technology makes it easier for people with disabilities to learn about our products and use these important benefits in their time of need.

Digital accessibility is a vital but often overlooked aspect of customer experience. In a recent survey of people with visual, hearing, cognitive, and speech disabilities, 81% reacted negatively to businesses that failed at accessibility and usability — they said they felt disconnected from these brands and assumed they were unreliable. At USAble Life, we’re committed to enhancing our digital capabilities, so all of our customers can quickly and easily shop for and manage their policies or request support.

Online claims experience

USAble Life’s online claims submission process offers customers a fast, easy, and stress-free experience. Visitors to the claims web page will have access to the following assistive technologies:

• Responsive web design improves usability by automatically adjusting page content to fit different screen sizes on various devices and windows.
• Alternative text description allows a description to be added to an image’s HTML tag on a web page.
• Remote form capture allows for paper claim forms to be digitally scanned; the scanned image of the form can then be electronically transmitted from any Wi-Fi-enabled computer, tablet, or smartphone.
• Google’s reCAPTCHA presents visitors with a simple “I’m not a robot” checkbox. Once the box is checked, reCAPTCHA fields can be interpreted by major screen readers (assistive technologies that convert visual content to audio or braille output). The box also is accessible via keyboard, which is helpful to people with certain mobility and cognitive disabilities.
• High-contrast text allows a user to invert foreground and background colors, which improves the legibility of the text.
• Form input labels describe the purpose and function of form elements/fields.
• Cross-browser compatibility enables a web page or application to work across most web browsers.

“The upgrades we’ve made to online claims submission functionality have done more than just increase processing volumes,” says Kathy Bungard, manager of web software development. “The assistive technology tools we’ve implemented also improve and streamline the claims process for people with physical and cognitive abilities. Although they’re too often underserved in the marketplace, we strive to meet their needs at USAble Life.”

ENABLED ERG: Walking the walk for accessibility

The best ideas for improving customer experience often come from personal experience. Last year, USAble Life created an employee resource group (ERG), ENABLED, for employees with disabilities. The group’s mission is to improve awareness and remove stigmas about customers and colleagues caring for or living with visible and invisible disabilities. ENABLED ERG’s current focus is on disability awareness training, specifically neurodiversity and mental health awareness.

“An inclusive culture is important to me as a leader because I’ve used USAble Life’s STD and LTD products when I dealt with a disabling medical situation,” says Tom Davenport, senior director of product development and ENABLED ERG lead. “Promoting inclusivity makes a meaningful difference for our employees and allows us to better serve our customers.”

When it comes to inclusivity and accessibility, the tide is rising at USAble Life. We’re committed to lifting customer experience across the board for ALL of our customers and employees.