Disability Discrimination

[#1]

My dear plusnet  carers,
If a deaf person's computer breaks down /or they have a bb fault  how do they contact you.

I hate having to tell you this but your web site is in breach of  sec 3 of the Equality Act.
You only have a phone number. You need to provide deaf people with a text number, when their pc breaks down
and  someone at plusnet needs to study very carefully the Equalityand humanrights  advice to web designers on accessibility..

[#2]

is anyone going to respond from plusnet?

[#3]

Give us a chance! It's a bit busy today and this posts not even an hour old!
I'll try and find someone to clarify for you.

[#4]

bless you my son

[#5]

Quote

If a deaf person's computer breaks down /or they have a bb fault  how do they contact you.

Our support team take Text Relay (formerly called TypeTalk) calls on a regular basis, we've been doing this for a number of years going back to before my time in the CSC.
Ensuring accessibility of our website(s) has been on the workstack for a while now and continues to be on there as it's something we're commited to getting sorted but I can't commit to any timescales.

[#6]

chris  oh dear dear me.......

Only people with a special text or screen phone can use typerelay

Are you going to suuply all your deaf customers with a text fone?
It would be far far easier to simply put a  mobile text number on the plus net website.

[#7]

just out of interest - if I develop a BB fault; how do I contact PN - I can't connect to the internet to check the phone number.  I don't think I've got the contact details from when I signed up (5+ years ago), so I'm in trouble.
There's no point simply having the numbers on the website as you cannot see them if your connection is down.  Is this sort of information communicated in an email at the start of the contract with "IMPORTANT - PLEASE RETAIN FOR YOUR RECORDS" or similar?  If not, then it probably should be.

[#8]

Ive got it on my Mobile and my home dect phone

[#9]

Alternatively....... go to your local library,./ internet cafe/ or .....
dread of all dreads..... ring 118 500 (or similar) and ask for Plusnet Sheffield number.

[#10]

Or get yourself a mobile broadband dongle, Very handy If anything like that happens, You can still get on the net, If you think hard enough there Is always an Alternative , As for the phone number well as Pierre-Pierre says. I mean really Its not rocket science.

[#11]

which are all things that both I, and a deaf person could do.
My point was that although the number for "mobile text" or whatever should be on the website; simply having it there does not resolve the problem.
As stated - the contact details should be in the welcome pack (not sure if they are) for all customers and for all valid means of communication - with a clear notification that these need to be retained in case of issues.
Can a new customer confirm exactly what they receive in the way of contact information when they sign up now?

[#12]

Well I have never had a welcome pack (VIA MAIL) from Plusnet since joined, Left, Joined again, But there Is a welcome pack freely available to download, Cannot remember what's In It though.

[#13]

There Is a phone number In the welcome pack but dont think Its for deaf people.

[#14]

http://www.plus.net/support/hardware/welcome_pack.pdf is the welcome pack.  The phone number is in the welcome emails as well, but obviously you'd need to remember to print/write them down.
The current insert which goes with all the router *doesn't* have the phone number in, but the new insert we are working on *does* have it.  It needs some rework for the new branding.
In fact, I can link to it.  It's an A5 booklet so you need to do the following to make it display right:
- In PDF reader, go to "view -> page display -> 2 up".  and "view -> page display -> show cover page during 2 up".
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/9570737/Router%20Setup%20Trial%20version.pdf

[#15]

although it appears that since that was uploaded... dropbox has dropped off the 'net... 😕