Experience of remote customer service accessibility for adults with acquired speech disorders in the UK
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17411/jacces.v15i2.601Abstract
Businesses and institutions have been increasing their reliance on telephone services over face-to-face interactions, and on automatic speech recognition over human operators. These trends risk disadvantaging people with speech conditions, whose speech is not easily understood. This qualitative study used semi-structured interviews to explore the experiences with customer services of people with acquired speech conditions. Thirteen people from the United Kingdom shared both positive and negative experiences of customer service accessibility, in relation to the use of technology, institutional practices, and interpersonal communication. Some of the main areas of challenge related to the lack of variety in communication channels, and barriers created within the existing ones due to time pressure and high communication demands on the customer, automatic speech recognition not meeting the needs of this population, and a lack of awareness of speech conditions among call centre staff, leading to negative assumptions. Participants shared key recommendations and positive experiences to have their needs met, including opportunity for multichannel communication, reducing time pressure on the customer, checking understanding, and companies keeping record of their communication needs.
References
Ataxia UK. (2020). Ataxia UK “I’m not drunk” ID card. https://www.ataxia.org.uk/ataxia-uk-news/ataxia-uk-im-not-drunk-id-card
Baylor, C., Burns, M., Eadie, T., Britton, D., & Yorkson, K. (2011). A qualitative study of interference with communicative participation across communication disorders in adults. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 20(4), 269-287. https://doi.org/10.1044/1058-0360(2011/10-0084)
Baylor, C., Yorkston, K., & Eadie, T. (2005). The consequences of spasmodic dysphonia on communication-related quality of life: A qualitative study of the insider's experiences. Journal of Communication Disorders, 38(7), 395-419. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcomdis.2005.03.003
Berg, J., Buesing, E., Hurst, P., Lai, V., & Mukhopadhyay, S. (2022). Retrieved 05 09, 2024, from McKinsey & Company: https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/operations/our-insights/the-state-of-customer-care-in-2022
Borrie, S., & Lansford, K. (2021). A Perceptual Learning Approach for Dysarthria Remediation: An Updated Review. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 64(8), 3060-3073. https://doi.org/10.1044/2021_JSLHR-21-00012
Borrie, S., Tetzloff, K., Barrett, T., & Lansford, K. (2024). Increasing Motivation Increases Intelligibility Benefits of Perceptual Training in Dysarthria. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 34(1), 85-96. https://doi.org/10.1044/2024_AJSLP-24-00196
Carter, A., Yaruss, J. S., & Beilby, J. (2017). Self-efficacy and quality of life in adults who stutter. Journal of Fluency Disorders, 54, 14-23. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfludis.2017.09.004
Cairney, M., Fuzesi, P., Rai, H., & Lowit, A. (2025). Supplemental materials for "Experience of remote customer service accessibility for adults with acquired speech disorders in the UK". https://osf.io/jfmze/?view_only=bcd759e0c81441afa09df1c4657134d5
Communication Access UK Inclusive Communication for All A Prospectus for Early Adopters. (n.d.). https://www.rcslt.org/wp-content/uploads/media/Project/RCSLT/communication-access-uk-prospectus.pdf
Dickie, D., & Farr, J. (2024, 09 21). Locations of 12 major bank branches closing across Edinburgh and Lothians revealed. https://www.edinburghlive.co.uk/news/edinburgh-news/locations-12-major-bank-branches-29982482
Dickson, S., Barbour, R., Brady, M., Clark, A., & Paton, G. (2008). Patients' experiences of disruptions associated with post-stroke dysarthria. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 43(2), 135-153. https://doi.org/10.1080/13682820701862228
Dokovova, M., Rai, H., & Fuzesi, P. (2024). Experiences of Telephone Communication with Difficult to Understand Speech. https://pureportal.strath.ac.uk/en/publications/experiences-of-telephone-communication-with-difficult-to-understa
Equality Act. (2010). Retrieved. https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/section/20
Fortune Business Insights. (2023). Speech and Voice Recognition Market Growth Analysis, 2023. https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/industry-reports/speech-and-voice-recognition-market-101382
Google Research. (n.d.). Project Euphonia: Communication research for non-standard speech. https://sites.research.google/euphonia/about
Government Digital Service. (2024). Content design: planning, writing and managing content. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/content-design/writing-for-gov-uk
Guasch, D. (2023). Accessibility notes: Documentation. Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Acessibility Chair of the UPC. Vilanova i la Geltrú: Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. http://hdl.handle.net/2117/358350
James, S., Brumfitt, S., & Cudd, P. (1999). Communicating by telephone: Views of a group of people with stuttering impairment. Journal of Fluency Disorders, 24(4). https://doi.org/10.1016/S0094-730X(99)00019-4
Kleinschmidt, D., & Jaeger, F. (2015). Robust speech perception: recognize the familiar, generalize to the similar, and adapt to the novel. Psychological Review, 122(2), 148-203. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0038695
Law, J., van der Gaag, A., Hardcastle, W., Beck, J., MacGregor, A., & Plunkett, C. (2007). Communication Support Needs: A Review of the Literature. Edinburgh: Scottish Executive. https://lx.iriss.org.uk/sites/default/files/resources/0051018.pdf
Let's TALK about communication on the phone. (n.d.). https://communication-access.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/TALK-Prompt-telephone.pdf
Lin, Y., Dang, J., Wang, L., Li, S., & Ding, C. (2023). Disordered speech recognition considering low resources and abnormal articulation. Speech Communication, 155, 103002. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.specom.2023.103002
Moore, M., Venkateswara, H., & Panchanathan, S. (2018). Whistle-blowing ASRs: Evaluating the Need for More Inclusive Speech Recognition Systems. Interspeech, (pp. 466-470). https://doi.org/10.21437/Interspeech.2018-2391
National Health Service [NHS] England. (2019). The NHS Long Term Plan. https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/20230418155402/https:/www.longtermplan.nhs.uk/publication/nhs-long-term-plan
NHS England. (2020). Advice on how to establish a remote “total triage” model in general practice using online consultations (Version 3). https://www.england.nhs.uk/coronavirus/wp-content/uploads/sites/52/2020/03/C0098-total-triage-blueprint-september-2020-v3.pdf
NHS England. (2024). Digitally enabled triage. https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/digitally-enabled-triage
Panjwani, A., & Booth, L. (2024). The future of local banking services and access to cash. https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-9453
Plain English Campaign. (n.d.). https://www.plainenglish.co.uk
Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists [RCSLT]. (n.d.). Communication Access UK – Inclusive communication for all. https://communication-access.co.uk
Silvestre, S., Bermejo, S., Guasch, D., & Castañer, L. (2011, 11 10). Towards photovoltaic powered artificial retina. Journal of Accessibility and Design for All, 1(1), 3-11. https://doi.org/10.17411/jacces.v1i1.77
Simpson, E., & Codd, D. (2024, 09 11). High Street closures led by banks, chemists and pubs. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cp35e8ggk59o
Sivarajasingam, V. (2021). Total triage is the future for general practice. 373, n1532. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.n1532
Smith, E., Gray, S., Verdolini, K., & Lemke, J. (1995). Effects of Voice Disorders on Quality of Life. Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, 113(2), 121. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0194-5998(05)80764-8
Strauss, A., & Corbin, J. (1994). Grounded theory methodology: An overview. In N. Denzin, & Y. Lincoln (Eds.), Handbook of qualitative research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Taylor, S. E., Balandin, S., & Murfitt, K. (2019). Customer service communication with customers with disability. Journal of Consumer Marketing, 36(1), 228-239. https://doi.org/10.1108/JCM-10-2017-2400
Verdolini, K., & Titze, I. (1994). The application of laboratory formulas to clinical voice management. The National Center for Voice and Speech Status and Progress Report, 7, 197-204. https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/document?repid=rep1&type=pdf&doi=c08d256b5c56618006cb6dce9e5c2650a794df1a#page=9
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Cairney M., Fuzesi P., Rai H., Lowit A.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share or adapt the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal. Use of the work for commercial purposes are not allowed.
- Authors are able to publish the journal's published version of the work in other media (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), as far as they inform the Journal of Accessibility and Design for All of that fact. When publishing their work in other sources, authors must mention the name of the Journal of Accessibility and Design for All, its ISSN, the number and issue in which the article was published and a link to the main page of the Journal of Accessibility and Design for All. Optionally, they can also include a link to the article published in the Journal of Accessibility and Design for All.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website), as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work.
