Accessibility Failures: A Call for Change in Services
Notice of Required Action
Under the Equality Act 2010, businesses and public authorities are legally required to make “reasonable adjustments” for customers with cognitive challenges such as memory issues, executive dysfunction, language and communication problems, attention and focus deficits, reduced mental flexibility, and emotional control. This duty is anticipatory.
Deadline for Implementation: 10 September 2011 (OVERDUE)
The Trauma of a Phone Call
Businesses and public authorities are failing to meet their legal duty to anticipate the needs of customers and users who are disadvantaged by problems with working memory, processing information, time-management and attentiveness. Reasonable adjustments are to be implemented as a matter of urgency.
After the familiar sense of dread when dialling the number, daydreaming through the automated questions and repeatedly entering the wrong options, I got through to someone who was, thankfully, friendly, patient and helpful.
The offer to send correspondence in large font on coloured paper so I could find it amongst the “admin-rubble” of my house took me aback; the resulting lump in my throat highlighting the layers of trauma I carry from countless futile attempts at resolving issues over the phone.”
The reality of the current system:
-
✕
The Shame: Forgetting questions, not having my reference numbers to hand, pretending to understand figures I can’t process and feeling too embarrassed to request clarifications or ask my interlocutor to slow down.
-
✕
The Fallout: On the rare occasion a call goes well, the clarity evaporates within minutes, replaced by an avalanche of inadequacy that eclipses any light on an otherwise happy day.
-
✕
The Cycle: I delay calls to avoid the pain. By the time I pluck up the courage, a minor task has grown unruly tentacles and metamorphosed into an ugly ecosystem of complex puzzles that presents a threat to my home, bank account and mental health.
To you, it’s a standard script. To my brain, you are every teacher, examiner and authority figure who has ever reminded me I’m failing at life. I am in fight-or-flight mode before I even pick up the phone.
Required Adjustments
These required adjustments are not “customer service tips”. They are the difference between access and exclusion.
I will likely forget something and need to call back. Dealing with one person who has the overview stops me from having to repeatedly explain my “failings” to different strangers.
Include a proactive question in your call scripts. Don’t make me beg for help or guard your accessibility service like it’s Area 51.
Key information including the name of the person I spoke to, reference numbers, figures, dates and action needed in bullet points or table format.
One reminder is not enough. Provide the option for multi-channel reminders (e.g. Email + SMS) to ensure it reaches my consciousness.
Appointments should be sent as calendar links. If it’s not in my digital calendar within one click, it’s not going in at all. This will drastically reduce the number of missed appointments.
Euphemisms are confusing. If I owe money, call it a fine. If I need to complete a task by a certain time, call it a deadline.
The current model forces neurodivergent customers to navigate systems never designed for them. That is not neutrality; it is a design choice, and it has consequences.
We are asking for predictable, structured and humane systems. Ones that reduce cognitive load rather than amplify it. The tools already exist; what’s missing is the will to apply them.
I am writing to you not just as a customer, but as a consultant who can help you bridge this gap. I look forward to discussing a possible approach to updating your processes and meeting these overdue obligations.
Best regards,
Ruth Bartlett
Neuroinclusion Consultant @Wordsted
*Full distribution list available upon request.
About the Author
Ruth Bartlett is a Neuroinclusive Communications Specialist and founder of Wordsted. She combines her background in communication and community support with her neurodivergent lived experience to help organisations and teams bridge the gap between systems, processes, and their neurodivergent consumers and employees.
Stay Updated
Subscribe to receive new articles straight to your inbox.