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The outsourcing industry provides various products and services to different sectors. As third-party providers engage with a diverse clientele and workforce, accessibility issues arise if left unaddressed.
Hence, business process outsourcing (BPO) vendors must understand accessibility laws to foster inclusivity and boost customer and employee satisfaction. Keep reading to explore accessibility requirements for the BPO industry and key pointers to ensure total compliance.
The importance of an accessible business in BPO
Enterprise accessibility reflects a BPO company’s commitment to exercising its ethical responsibilities. Regardless of physical or cognitive abilities, individuals should have easy access to the provider’s services, products, and working environments.
According to Forrester’s 2023 research findings, delivering accessible experiences helps companies increase profitability, decrease expenditure, improve resilience, and earn trust. BPO firms also gain the following advantages when providing such experiences and adhering to accessibility laws:
- Avoid costly penalties, lawsuits, and reputational damages. Providing accessible services minimizes the likelihood of facing litigations filed by individuals with disabilities who experience barriers to receiving quality goods, fair support, and service access.
- Increase customer satisfaction and retention. Accessible products and services make consumers feel heard and valued. Failure to meet even one need already counts as a bad experience, urging customers to switch brands and employers.
- Tap into underserved markets. People with disabilities represent about 16% of the population worldwide. Accommodating them allows BPO companies to differentiate themselves in a crowded market and boost revenue.
- Enhance workforce relationships. Prioritizing accessibility enables BPO companies to establish an inclusive workplace where every worker feels recognized. This advantage improves employee morale, increases job satisfaction, and lower turnover.
BPO and accessibility laws: ways to ensure compliance
Knowing the accessibility rules and regulations is crucial to understanding what BPO companies attain when establishing an accessible workplace and consumer space. Accessibility laws bind the policies and procedures that affect how service providers operate.
These laws strengthen the foundation of BPO business practices, from ensuring that every person can optimize digital tools to making physical spaces easily usable. Let’s examine each accessibility law shaping major BPO hubs and how providers should comply.
Americans with Disabilities Act
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal civil rights law prohibiting discrimination against people with disabilities (PWDs). It protects PWDs from prejudice in employment, transportation, public accommodations, and telecommunications.
ADA regulations require BPO companies to avoid discriminatory recruitment and employment practices. They must prepare and implement job descriptions, interview processes, and hiring criteria that include PWDs.
Here are the other ADA requirements that BPO companies must comply to avoid paying between $75,000 and $150,000 in fines:
- BPO websites, mobile apps, and other digital communication tools must accommodate PWDs, including those who use screen readers, voice-recognition features, and other assistive technologies.
- Service providers must make office spaces, restrooms, and common areas easily accessible for employees and customers with disabilities. They should also have building features such as ramps, elevators, accessible parking lots, and braille signage.
- BPO call centers must train their customer service representatives (CSRs) to effectively connect with individuals with hearing or speech disabilities. They should also have alternative communication methods, such as text-based chats.
- Support vendors must establish PWD-friendly emergency procedures. This includes training staff on assisting disabled individuals during emergencies, installing accessible alarm systems, and preparing evacuation plans for those with sensory impairments.
- Providers and clients must include ADA compliance in their contract terms and conditions. BPO companies must ensure that all their products and services meet the accessibility law’s standards and guidelines to avoid conflicts and sanctions.
European Accessibility Act
The European Accessibility Act (EAA) outlines the European Union’s guidelines for digital accessibility. The law provides equal access to telecommunications, digital assets, and technologies regardless of age or physical limitation.
BPO companies operating or serving European clients must conduct accessibility training for their teams and continuously monitor their compliance. The law also requires them to publish an accessibility statement consisting of the following items:
- A product’s or service’s functionality data
- A product’s or service’s technical accessibility specifications and design processes
- A description of the ways a product or service meets EAA accessibility requirements
- A list of law enforcement authorities to which users can submit accessibility complaints
- Other requirements around accessibility information, packaging, and labeling of covered products and services
Failure to comply with the EAA results in more than €3 million or $3.35 million in steep fines. Sanctions might also include removing products or services from the market and suspending a company’s business license.
The Philippine Magna Carta for Disabled Persons, 1992
The Magna Carta for Disabled Persons, 1992, also known as Republic Act No. 7277, supports the rehabilitation, independence, and self-development of PWDs in the Philippines. This legislation affects various sectors, including outsourcing.
BPO companies must understand and adhere to this accessibility law to avoid imprisonment of not less than six months but not more than two years. Non-compliance also leads to monetary penalties ranging from $800 to $1,700. Below are the essential rules and regulations of this law:
- Offer equal employment opportunities for disabled people. In addition to non-discriminatory job postings and interviews, BPO providers must implement fair accommodations for PWDs, including modifying workstations, providing assistive tools, and adjusting work schedules.
- Ensure all workplaces are easily accessible to people with disabilities. Support vendors must have ramps, accessible restrooms, elevators, and readily achievable mobility devices.
- Implement training and career development programs for workers with disabilities. BPO firms must also train their other teams on disability awareness and inclusion. This establishes a more supportive and all-embracing working environment.
- Provide incentives for employers with disabilities to encourage exemplary work performance and promote their welfare. Monetary bonuses, food tokens, or gift cards help recognize a PWD worker’s skills and critical contributions to the BPO employer.
Mexico’s General Act on the Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities
The General Act on the Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities mandates the full protection of human rights for PWDs. The law requires public and private organizations to provide accessible physical infrastructures, digital platforms, and employment opportunities.
Service providers in Mexico must prohibit discrimination against their workers with disabilities. The act directs them to create and conduct an employment program that includes training sessions, protected job centers, and technical support services.
Furthermore, BPO organizations must develop and implement coordination mechanisms with authorities to meet the requirements and standards of this accessibility law. Providing accessible formats and appropriate communication tools when sharing data for different types of disability is also crucial for BPO operations.
India’s 2016 Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act
The Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPWD) Act, 2016, promotes and safeguards the rights of PWDs in India. Under the supervision of governing bodies, public and private organizations must follow mandates and timelines to ensure accessible infrastructures and services.
Providers in India’s outsourcing sector must create and host programs that support the employment of PWDs, especially for their vocational and skill training. BPO firms that operate remotely must also guarantee digital accessibility by adhering to these guidelines:
- Set all audio, print, electronic media, and website content in an accessible format.
- Provide audio descriptions, sign language interpretations, and closed captioning on electronic media.
- Make everyday digital devices available in universal design.
- Secure websites and mobile applications and monitor their accessibility.
- Pay between $120 and $6,000 in financial penalties when failing to comply with the law’s rules and regulations.
The bottom line
Third-party support vendors serve different needs in various sectors. Their products, services, and employment programs should cover PWDs to practice inclusivity and equality. Hence, they must follow critical policies and procedures to achieve these objectives.
BPO companies must understand and comply with accessibility laws such as the ones discussed above. Knowing the ways and requirements they need to take and address helps them avoid costly penalties and reputational damages.
Are you curious how a global BPO company complies with the relevant rules and regulations? Let’s connect and exchange insights!
