LONDON, 18 June 2024 — Genesys®, a global cloud leader in AI-powered experience orchestration, and Lighthouse Works, a business processing outsource organisation (BPO), are partnering to help increase global career opportunities for individuals who are blind or visually impaired (B/VI). Together, the companies are delivering an accessible experience orchestration solution any organisation can deploy to empower B/VI individuals in the contact centre workforce.
According to the World Health Organization, at least 2.2 billion people globally have a near or distance vision impairment. In the United States alone, nearly 70% of people who are blind or visually impaired are not employed as reported by the National Industries for the Blind. And in the UK, a study from late 2022 found that only one in four people with sight loss are in paid employment.
To increase job opportunities for this underrepresented community, EquiVista by Lighthouse Works is available now only on Genesys Cloud. The launch of EquiVista advances the commitment of both Lighthouse Works and Genesys to support underserved populations through a people-centric approach to innovation.
Building on Lighthouse Works’ own use of Genesys Cloud, this new application equips organisations all over the world with a simplified user interface that can be tailored for individuals aligned with their visual abilities. EquiVista incorporates Jobs Access with Speech (JAWS) screen reading software to create more efficient workflows through automation, enabling B/VI individuals to use Genesys Cloud to seamlessly engage with customers.
The solution provides organisations:
- The ability to automate repetitive behaviors
- Streamlined workflows for improved efficiency
- Hotkey support for simplified control
- The ability to comply with federal and international regulations including Web Content Accessibility Guideline (WCAG) 2.2 level AA conformance standards
- Granular user interface customisation allowing each agent’s desktop to be adapted to their abilities
EquiVista comes at a time when technology and accessibility are at the forefront of global business strategies. According to Forrester, 62% of respondents in North America, 55% in Europe and 63% in Asia report a top-down commitment to accessibility at their organisations with the work actually happening to deliver on those commitments. Several global initiatives on the horizon are focused on removing barriers for disabled individuals, making the availability of EquiVista in the customer experience market even more timely.
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development adopted by the United Nations General Assembly includes 17 sustainable development goals designed to transform the world and ensure the inclusion of persons with disabilities by 2030, with an emphasis on employment and education. And in June 2025, the European Accessibility Act takes full effect, which was introduced by the European Union to help businesses improve the market for accessible products and services and drive increased job opportunities for disabled people.
Commenting on the news:
- “We introduced EquiVista in partnership with Genesys to help level the playing field for the visually impaired workforce,” said Kyle Johnson, CEO and president of Lighthouse Works. “With this technology, organisations have a massive opportunity to increase their impact and contribute to a more equitable world by providing more inclusive workplace environments and career advancement opportunities for this underrepresented population.”
- “We’re on the cusp of AI development that will remove technology and business barriers” said Chris Lewis, a UK-based telecoms industry and accessibility analyst and founding director of Lewis Insight. “The partnership between Genesys and Lighthouse Works is a great example of opening up employment and customer experience opportunities for many formerly excluded individuals.”
- “Technology has a powerful role to play in aiding disabled people,” said Olivier Jouve, chief product officer, Genesys. “The Genesys Cloud platform was designed to be flexible and empower organisations to adapt it to the needs of their business, making what’s possible in the employee and customer experience limitless. In helping to create life changing opportunities for the blind and visually impaired, this partnership between Lighthouse Works and Genesys is a testament of what can be achieved when empathy is at the heart of the experience.”
Committed to using its products for the betterment of others, Genesys has a goal to touch over 100 million lives of people in need each year by helping nonprofits use its products for good by 2030. All proceeds from purchases of EquiVista will go directly to Lighthouse Works in support of blind and visually impaired career opportunities. For more information about the application, visit the EquiVista by Lighthouse Works Genesys AppFoundry listing.
About Lighthouse Works
Lighthouse Works is a business solutions outsourcer employing hundreds of team members across the United States, with more than half having varying degrees of visual impairment. With an agent churn rate more than five times lower than the industry average, the company was responsible for 6 out of 10 new jobs created among National Industries for the Blind (NIB) and NIB-associated agencies in 2023. This success is built on an integration between the Genesys Cloud™ platform and Jobs Access with Speech (JAWS) screen reading software that creates more efficient workflows through automation, and the development of EquiVista.
About Genesys
Genesys empowers more than 8,000 organisations in over 100 countries to improve loyalty and business outcomes by creating the best experiences for customers and employees. Through Genesys Cloud, the #1 AI-powered experience orchestration platform, Genesys delivers the future of CX to organisations of all sizes so they can provide empathetic, personalised experience at scale. As the trusted, all-in-one platform born in the cloud, Genesys Cloud accelerates growth for organisations by enabling them to differentiate with the right customer experience at the right time, while driving stronger workforce engagement, efficiency and operational improvements.
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Media Contacts
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