At Comcast, Diversity & Inclusion is a fundamental part of the way we do business. We build it into every aspect of the company, whether that’s our technology and programming, our interactions with our colleagues and customers or our work in the communities we serve. In honor of National Autism Awareness Month in April and Global Accessibility Awareness Day coming up on May 16, we are highlighting some of the ways our company and our employees across Greater Philadelphia are working to support people of all abilities.
A founding principle of our technology team is that when we make a product more accessible, we improve it for everyone. With Xfinity Home, families impacted by disabilities like autism can use alerts and security cameras to monitor for safety issues like open doors and windows. Using Xfinity xFi parental controls, time alerts and usage schedules, customers can ensure balanced Internet habits. And with Xfinity TV, our award-winning X1 voice remote gives customers the ability to change channels, search for shows, enable closed captioning and more with simple voice commands, bringing a new level of independence to those who have limited mobility, dexterity or vision. Xfinity X1 also includes the industry’s first talking guide, a voice guidance feature that “speaks” what’s on the screen and gives customers with visual disabilities the freedom to independently explore thousands of TV shows and movies. And we provide customers who rely on services like closed captioning, video description and voice guidance access to a specially trained support team at our Accessibility Center of Excellence to ensure all of our customers have the best possible experience.
As highlighted in our 2018 Diversity & Inclusion report, 1.5 million Xfinity customers nationwide had enabled an accessibility feature, used by customers of all abilities like Michael, Anthony and J.J., three roommates with developmental disabilities who are living independently with support from the nonprofit SPIN Inc.
In addition to being focused on providing accessible technology and service, our employees are also passionate about getting involved. Over the coming weeks as part of Comcast Cares Day, one of the largest corporate commitments to volunteerism and service in America, we are partnering with local organizations that serve people with disabilities including South Jersey Field of Dreams and Thorncroft Therapeutic Riding School. These projects are open to the public, and we hope you, your friends and family will join us at one of the above locations or any of our Comcast Cares Day projects this year. Projects run from now through mid-May. To learn more and sign up, go to https://comca.st/2IoRKay.
From our tech team dedicated to accessibility to our local employees, we’re focused on enriching the customer experience for all. For more information about our commitment to accessibility, visit https://comca.st/2IsAm52 or https://comca.st/2IrsfFN.