Accessible Technology Proves an Essential Business Tool for Convergys Corporation

Computer access for employees with disabilities is important to the success of Convergys Corporation, a global leader in integrated billing, employee care, and customer care services provided through outsourcing or licensing. Serving top companies in a wide range of industries in more than 40 countries, the employer of 45,000 people relies on state-of-the art assistive technology to quickly get employees with disabilities set up and working productively to address customer needs.

When Dr. Jim Kutsch was a college student he says, "I learned very quickly that tripping a passerby to ask, 'hey can you read what's on my screen,' wasn't the most effective way to get access to my computer." But Kutsch, who is blind, was motivated and tenacious about gaining access. He experimented with accessibility of computers back in the early days of computing and even completed a PhD dissertation project on the design of the first talking computer terminal for blind users.

Today, Kutsch is vice president of technology in the Customer Management Group of Convergys Corporation, a leading provider of billing and customer care products and services—and a company that recognizes the business value of diversity in its workforce. Kutsch leads a Convergys team that designs, develops, and operates the technology platforms used by Convergys' Customer Management Group (CMG) to support one of its largest telecommunications clients and its affiliated business units.

State-of-the-Art Workstation Includes JAWS and Windows

Kutsch's role at Convergys is computer-oriented and he uses computers regularly. "On a daily basis, access to e-mail, the Internet, and my calendar are my biggest needs," he says. His e-mail frequently includes various attachments from Word documents to Excel spreadsheets to PowerPoint presentations. All are easily accessed with the state-of-the-art assistive technology he uses.

Kutsch's Convergys workstation is equipped with the JAWS for Windows 4.02 screen reader from Freedom Scientific, as well as Freedom Scientific's OpenBook scanning and reading software. Between his Convergys workstation and home office, Kutsch uses configurations of Windows XP, Windows 2000, and Windows 98 on several computers—he reports seamless operation of JAWS for Windows on all machines.

Collaboration Brings Compatibility

"JAWS is an essential tool in my work life," says Kutsch. "As an executive—especially an executive who is responsible for technology—it's very important to have rapid access to new releases-the latest software, the latest hardware, and so on. Lag-time on new releases is a common problem faced by those who rely on assistive technology.

"Vendors will come out with new products for the general population, and then months—maybe even years—later those products are made available through special versions or assistive technology to people with disabilities." Thanks to a collaborative effort by Microsoft and Freedom Scientific, compatible new versions of the Microsoft operating system and the JAWS screen reader were introduced with unprecedented speed. "For the first time in my professional career," says Kutsch, "when Microsoft released Windows XP, I had a screen reader that worked—on that day. I had Windows XP when my colleagues had Windows XP, and my Windows XP had a version of JAWS that worked with it and made Windows XP accessible to me."

Convergys Ensures Employees Get The Productivity Tools They Need

Providing employees with disabilities the tools they need to be successful in their work is a well-thought out process at Convergys. Each of the company's more than 45 sites assigns a human resources representative to handle individual requests for needed assistive technology. Peggy Shaw, Sr. Manager of Human Resources, manages the process at the Jacksonville, Florida site where Kutsch works. In that role, Shaw works with employees, vocational rehabilitation agencies, rehabilitation engineers, and assistive technology vendors. "Through this process, access issues for applicants and employees with disabilities from hiring through retention and advancement are addressed in a coordinated fashion," says Shaw. In addition, the Jacksonville site maintains a lab where the rehabilitation engineer and the company's internal technology team can test assistive technology with internal systems. This allows individuals with disabilities to be assigned to more areas without having to wait for development of access solutions.

Convergys Recognizes Diversity As Business Value

Convergys is a company committed to a diverse workforce. "The governing principle here is that individuals are respected for their individuality—for the important characteristics they bring to the business," Kutsch says.

"Starting from the most senior levels of management, Convergys recognizes diversity as one of our core values," says Ron Schultz, President of Convergys Customer Management Group. "In the same way that high quality equipment makes all employees more productive, highly accessible equipment for employees with disabilities is essential to their performance. As the global leader in outsourced billing, employee care, and customer care, our customers include many of the world's leading firms. It is essential that we provide all of our employees with high-quality products and equipment that allow us to make our clients more profitable and competitive. Thus, accessible technology is not 'nice to have' but it is essential."