According to the group, this further strengthens the techno's support for persons with disabilities and its commitment to building an inclusive digital society.
"For almost two decades, Vodacom has championed the communication needs of persons with disabilities by providing access to products and services that address their challenges and help to improve their lives," says Takalani Netshitenzhe, executive director of external affairs for Vodacom South Africa.
Netshitenzhe adds, "The Specific Needs and NRS Centre offers an inclusive technology solution that advances our goal of empowering all South Africans and ensuring no one is left behind in the digitalisation journey. The launch of this system is another example of how Vodacom is delivering on its purpose to connect for a better future."
The NRS enables Deaf, hearing and speech-impaired persons to contact hearing people such as family, friends and organisations in real-time and on their own without asking a friend or someone else to make the call, which impedes their independence.
Registered Vodacom prepaid and postpaid customers who are Deaf and use South African Sign Language (SASL), are hearing-impaired or have speech difficulties can call any hearing person via specially trained Relay Officers (RO). The ROs are the central link on the call and facilitate communication between the NRS user and the called party.
Some examples of these calls include booking at a restaurant or an appointment with a medical doctor. More critically, the NRS provides SASL users with the option to request emergency services, such as:
- police
- ambulance
- traffic
- sea rescue, and
- fire services.
The NRS enables Deaf, hearing and speech-impaired customers to choose the type of relay service that meets the needs of their specific disability. This includes:
- voice relay
- text relay
- live chat
- captioned telephony relay, and
- video relay.
The NRS is free of charge for customers using a Vodacom SIM. As part of the NRS, Vodacom also offers a Video Relay Service, which enables Deaf SASL customers to use video technology to communicate with hearing persons. A video call connects Deaf customers to ROs, South African Sign Language Interpreters (SASLIs).
In 2004, Vodacom pioneered a Specific Needs initiative to make cellular communications accessible to all South Africans, especially people with disabilities. Since then, the company says that it has provided a wide range of products and services that help to overcome communication barriers for those with specific needs.
"Not providing accessible call centre services denies human rights to persons with disabilities and promotes social exclusion as they have limited ways of communicating to organisations and hearing people," says Desiree Hayes, managing executive at Vodacom South Africa.
Hayes concludes, "With SASL proposed as the country's 12
th official language, it is imperative that more is done to bridge the real-time communications gap that currently exists."
To access the NRS, Vodacom customers can choose voice relay by calling 082 12580, or text relay by sending an SMS to 12580 or email to
[email protected]. There is also live chat relay and video relay available on the Vodacom WhatsApp chat (082 0098 624), My Vodacom App and the Vodacom
website.
For more information, visit
www.vodacom.co.za. You can also follow Vodacom South Africa on
Facebook or on
Twitter.