Enhancing the Experience for Deaf Travellers
Accessibility in Hospitality
The Ask: How and where Hilton could identify real time sign language or customer support for the deaf and hard of hearing community in digital channels (web and mobile).
Solution
ASL FAQ Pages
Iconography
Amenities and Hotel Policies
Special Requests
Real-time ASL Customer Service
The Process:
Insight/Pain Point: Users struggle to fully understand text-heavy, detail-oriented FAQs on the Hilton App and Hilton.com.
Solution: Provide static FAQs translated into American Sign Language (ASL).
Insight/Pain Point: Users have difficulty filtering accessible rooms based on their specific hearing needs.
Solution: Implement clear iconography and separate filtering options for mobility and hearing disabilities.
Insight/Pain Point: Users are not fully aware of the range of accessibility accommodations and policies available at the hotel and room levels.
Solution: Implement clear iconography and provide a detailed list of accommodations, ranked from most frequently sought to least.
Insight/Pain Point: Users were unable to request an ADA kit in advance, which is essential for deaf and hard-of-hearing travelers. As a result, travelers often had to wait 24-48 hours for staff to locate the kit upon arrival.
Solution: Add a feature that allows users to request the ADA kit in advance as part of the accessibility special requests.
Insight/Pain Point: Users faced challenges in communicating with customer service agents over the phone or chat due to limited English proficiency.
Solution: Introduce a real-time ASL (American Sign Language) support feature as an alternative communication method. This solution was integrated into Hilton’s existing customer service backend, utilizing Amazon Connect to ensure seamless support.