UC Inclusivity: How Connecsy Leads the Way

As businesses strive for inclusivity and equal opportunities for all employees, it is essential to provide the tools that enable everyone to perform their jobs effectively—regardless of physical abilities. For receptionists and contact center attendants, interacting with digital systems efficiently is crucial. However, traditional systems that often rely on visual or text-heavy interfaces can present significant barriers for visually impaired individuals.

Connecsy from Pridis offers a powerful, accessible solution for visually impaired attendants working in contact centers and reception environments. By integrating with JAWS (Job Access With Speech), Connecsy’s text-to-speech (TTS) technology provides an accessible auditory interface, empowering visually impaired users to navigate complex digital workflows independently. When combined with keyboard shortcuts, this integration enhances productivity and efficiency, enabling employees to perform tasks confidently.

A Long-Standing Collaboration: Pridis & Optelec

The partnership between Pridis and Optelec spans over two decades. Pridis, a developer of versatile and accessible attendant software, and Optelec, the reseller and distributor of JAWS—the world’s most widely used screen reader—first collaborated over 20 years ago. From this enduring relationship, a valuable cooperation was born.

“Pridis understands well that a blind or visually impaired user is often an important and valuable asset to the organization they work for. Therefore, the accessibility of their software products is one of the most important features,” says Gert-Jan van Barneveld, Account Manager at Optelec. “Not only at the start of building a new software product but also in the following steps, Optelec is involved in advising on the accessibility of the software and regularly testing it. The result is that both parties fully support the functionality of the offered products when they are presented to a potential customer.”

How Connecsy’s Dialogue Management Tool Works with JAWS for Visually Impaired Attendants and Agents

Connecsy is designed to manage dialogues in a contact center or reception setting, organizing and streamlining communication between employees and customers. Integrated with JAWS, Connecsy’s text-to-speech technology reads out information from the system, converting text into natural-sounding speech. This allows visually impaired attendants to access and understand key information without relying on visual cues.

JAWS, the screen-reading software distributed by Optelec, is an effective tool that interprets Connecsy attendant screens and transforms them into spoken words and Braille (using a Braille display). This process is both selective and efficient; for incoming calls, details about the call are automatically vocalized and/or shown in Braille. As users navigate the screen with keyboard commands, the current "focus" is consistently presented in speech and/or Braille.

The keyboard shortcuts within Connecsy further enhance this experience, providing quick access to various functionalities, including call management, database queries, and client records. These shortcuts ensure that attendants can navigate the system efficiently, helping them respond to customer queries, update information, and manage appointments without delay.

“Because a blind or visually impaired person cannot see the screen and therefore cannot use the mouse, the Connecsy software has a number of keyboard shortcuts that can be used to invoke important functionality and actions,” adds Gert-Jan.

With Connecsy and JAWS working together, visually impaired attendants can easily perform their duties, just like their sighted peers. They can actively engage in customer interactions, streamline workflows, and contribute to a more inclusive work environment.

Empowering Representatives with Autonomy and Efficiency

For visually impaired attendants or agents working in contact centers or reception roles, Connecsy’s integration with JAWS provides more than just an accessible interface—it fosters autonomy. The ability to listen to real-time data, such as customer inquiries, client records, or scheduling information, allows attendants to perform their roles independently without needing sighted assistance.

Moreover, the keyboard shortcuts in Connecsy significantly reduce the time needed to complete tasks, helping attendants quickly navigate between different functions and deliver fast, accurate service to customers. This increase in speed and efficiency leads to higher job satisfaction, improved productivity, and an overall better customer service experience.

“With the combination of JAWS and Connecsy, blind and visually impaired users can independently and routinely use the Connecsy attendant,” says Gert-Jan. “Not only that, but with the JAWS screen-reading software installed, the Windows environment and Microsoft Office are also accessible to blind and visually impaired users. In addition, this also allows one to work with other applications, provided they are built accessible. In this way, blind and visually impaired employees remain important and valuable to your organization.”

Real-World Impact: How Connecsy and JAWS Are Transforming Reception and Contact Centers

The integration of Connecsy’s dialogue management system with JAWS and text-to-speech technology is already proving invaluable in contact centers and reception areas. Businesses that have adopted this solution are reporting significant improvements in the performance and confidence of their visually impaired employees.

For example, attendants in receptions are able to efficiently manage customer calls, retrieve information from databases, and schedule appointments—all through spoken feedback and keyboard shortcuts. This real-time access to information enables them to provide quick, accurate responses, ensuring a high level of customer satisfaction.

In reception roles, visually impaired staff can independently handle client check-ins, answer phone inquiries, and manage administrative tasks without barriers. This creates a more inclusive workplace where employees of all abilities are empowered to perform their jobs successfully.

The Future of Inclusivity in Contact Centers and Reception Roles

The future of inclusivity in the workplace looks increasingly bright, thanks to innovative solutions like Connecsy’s dialogue management system, integrated with JAWS and text-to-speech technology. As businesses continue to embrace digital inclusivity, the adoption of these technologies will become more widespread, paving the way for greater opportunities for visually impaired professionals in contact centers and reception roles.

At Pridis, we are committed to driving these advancements forward. Our continuous work to enhance the integration of JAWS and keyboard shortcuts ensures that visually impaired attendants can access digital systems with ease, perform tasks efficiently, and contribute meaningfully to their organizations.

With Connecsy and JAWS, the future is one where all employees—regardless of ability—can succeed in the digital age, helping businesses deliver superior customer service and fostering a truly inclusive work environment.