Disability Smart Technology Award

Case study

The Technology award recognises an organisation that have developed technology which has improved the life opportunities and experiences of disabled people, in the workplace, as a consumer or in wider society.

The judging panel chose Amazon, for widespread innovation that has benefitted disabled customers globally. They have also developed Amazon Echo and Alexa-enabled devices so that they can be controlled by gestures and text-to-speech. Video-based sign language training has also been introduced for staff.

Amazon focus on delighting their customers with disabilities. They continue to earn trust with the disability community, who validate their efforts through feedback, product reviews and awards. Amazon’s high bar for accessibility results in ongoing improvements and advancements that put them ahead of external benchmarks and demands.

Amazon actively recruit, hire and develop diverse talent into diversity and business roles.

In 2022, Amazon redesigned and launched amazon.com/accessibility to make it easier for customers to learn more and find the devices and services that are right for them.

Judges’ comments

“We were impressed by the sheer breadth of Amazon’s innovation in this space and the truly global impact of their work. There was a clear focus on using feedback from employees and customers to inform the design, development, and delivery of products and services.”

Finalists in this category

• XRAI Glass (Highly commended),
• Sky,
• Signapse,
• Amazon.

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