As conversations surrounding inclusivity in the workplace evolve, employers may still be failing to include deaf and hard-of-hearing talent in their
Only 53% of deaf people between the ages of 25 and 64 are employed, compared to 76% of hearing people in the same age group, according to the National Deaf Center on Postsecondary Outcomes. For many deaf workers, accessible interview processes and alienating communication expectations once hired are common barriers one tech startup is helping this group overcome.
Text-to-voice app Nagish is teaming up with Comcast NBC Universal to bring their technology to deaf and hard-of-hearing Comcast customers, employees and prospective candidates. Nagish translates text-to-speech and speech-to-text as someone is typing or speaking.
“Nagish means accessible in Hebrew. We're making telecommunications more accessible to people who are deaf or hard-of-hearing,” says Tomer Aharoni, co-founder and CEO of the platform. “Whether they work with you, or they just want to contact you.”
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Nagish was backed by Comcast’s LIFT Labs Accelerator, which aims to help startups grow during a 12-week program. The app was originally intended to be an alternative to human captioning services and call centers. A deaf person usually would have to connect to a call center to reach an in-person go-between for the deaf and hearing, risking hours of wait time and having no privacy. The technology has now been adapted to sync with Microsoft Teams to support communication in the workplace.
Traditional interviews are often conversation-based with little consideration for disabled talent. If employers want to make a difference, accessibility has to be at the forefront of their company’s strategies from the moment they first connect with candidates, explains Aharoni.
“One of the biggest issues comes when accessibility is not being thought of as something that you should do from day one,” says Aharoni. “Nagish’s integration with Microsoft Teams will be Comcast’s interviewing solution since it lets candidates read captions in real-time and provide responses using text.”
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Its technology also eliminates the need to hire an ASL interpreter to recruit and hire deaf talent, an expensive barrier many small businesses can’t afford. Aharoni, who worked with a deaf intern during his time at Bloomberg, recalls how anytime he wanted to meet with the intern, he had to approve, at minimum, a $150 expense for the interpreter, even if the meeting was just 10 minutes.
“It's sad to say this, but hiring people who are deaf is something that only the bigger companies could do because it's very expensive to have an interpreter,” Aharoni says. “We’re trying to bridge that gap.”
Additionally, Aharoni believes Nagish allows for more authentic communication between deaf and hearing individuals, since interpreters often summarize instead of translating word-for-word what’s being signed to them.
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While this technology will pave the way for a better recruitment experience, employers need to take the lead in approaching deaf and hard of hearing candidates, Aharoni says.
“What I learned in many cases is deaf talent, because they were neglected for so long, don't think they are qualified for the job and might not apply,” says Aharoni. “If you actually go out of your way and take a proactive approach, you can find amazing talent.”
Currently, Nagish is partnering with Comcast, but has plans to further refine their software so their deaf and hearing customers have an easier time communicating with one another. Aharoni also hopes to develop Nagish as a workplace tool, bringing it to employers of all sizes and industries.
“I want a positive change to happen from our collaboration with Comcast,” says Aharoni. “If Comcast gets a positive light for being more accessible, I really hope other companies will see that and want to do the same thing.”
