jordan pulse -

Zain Jordan launches universal-access guide for employees and customers with disabilities, aiming to ensure barrier-free environment and placing company among first in kingdom to take concrete step toward empowering and integrating persons with disabilities and aligning all buildings and facilities with disability-access building code.

Launch coincides with International Day of Persons with Disabilities on 3 December, reaffirming Zain’s commitment to inclusive, accessible workplace and to strengthening culture of inclusion, diversity and equity across services and initiatives. Guide represents practical application of equality and equal-opportunity principles and reflects company’s leading role in enabling persons with disabilities through infrastructure preparation and integration in operations, programmes and projects.

Zain says step reinforces its leadership in private sector by providing comprehensive practical framework enabling departments and suppliers to achieve 100% full access across all facilities. Guide developed with specialised experts to serve as approved reference for design, implementation and management of facilities to highest global standards, ensuring all facilities, services and initiatives meet needs of all societal groups and contribute to more inclusive, equitable community.

Zain incorporates persons with disabilities across programmes, initiatives and services. In 2015 company launched ‘Basmeh’ line for deaf community offering video calls linked directly to Public Security emergency centre at 114. Company also supported emergency-call app for deaf users via smartphones and has provided annual support for Paralympic athletes.

For employees company trains staff in sign language to ensure effective communication with customers and colleagues with disabilities, provides real-time sign-language interpretation in all branches, and recently partnered with Royal Jordanian to provide interpretation in RJ offices to ease travel for persons with hearing disabilities. Company also launched digital library on YouTube to teach basics of Jordanian Sign Language.

In regional first Zain enabled mobile-service subscription contracts in sign language for subscribers with hearing and visual disabilities. Company provides assistive-technology tools to all employees with disabilities to support work and service access independently. Zain received 2018 Essl Foundation award at UN headquarters in Vienna for developing innovative ecosystem supporting deaf community.