Telephone access and call centres
A service provider may provide services over the telephone as a main activity – for example, you phone up to buy something. Or it may have a telephone service as part of its service, for example, if you use telephone banking, or phone enquiry lines via a call centre.
When a service provider offers telephone information as part of its service, it must not unlawfully discriminate against, harass or victimise you because of a protected characteristic in:
- what is said to you during a call, and
- the way the service is provided.
When a service provider offers services over the telephone, it must make reasonable adjustments for disabled people who would otherwise face a barrier to accessing the service. If it is a reasonable adjustment to provide the service in a different way, then it must do it.
In making reasonable adjustments, a service provider is not allowed to wait until a disabled person wants to use their services. They must think in advance about what people with a range of impairments might reasonably need. If they have not done this and a disabled person wants to use a service, then the service provider must make the reasonable adjustments as quickly as possible.
For example:
- A call centre makes sure that it has a textphone to accept calls from people with a hearing impairment, as well as allowing calls to be made through a third-party interpreter.
- A community organisation offers ‘live chat’ with its helpline via the internet.
- A small business which offers goods for sale by phone includes an email address and mobile phone number for SMS text messaging in its marketing information and makes it clear that orders will be accepted by these methods as well as by a landline phone.
More information
Protected characteristic's definitions
View the current guidance and information for service users
Your responsibilities for staff behaviour
Last Updated: 09 Feb 2016