Umniah Takes Part in the Project to Develop an Emergency Hotline for the Deaf

August 25, 2020 – Amman, Jordan: In line with its continuous efforts to support those with disabilities and help them integrate better into their communities, Umniah has participated in and funded the Hotline for the Deaf (114), which provides a platform for the hearing impaired that allows them to communicate by video, free of charge, using a custom-made application.

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed in the presence of Chairman of the Higher Council for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities HRH Mired Bin Raad between the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC), the Directorate of Public Security (PSD), Umniah, Zain, Orange Jordan, and the Modern Global Company for the Development of Telecommunications Programs (Globitel), which stipulated that the emergency number 114 will be provided for free to persons with hearing disabilities. For the implementation phase, a dedicated team was formed by the TRC in order to allow individuals with hearing disabilities to access telecommunications and information technology services as part of the (With You We Are Stronger) initiative.

As per the MoU, Umniah, will be working closely with the group to provide technical, electronic, marketing support and awareness training, as well as environmental facilities.

Umniah will collaborate with the Public Security Directorate (PSD) and the TRC on technical support, providing visual communication solutions for the hotline in emergency cases, with specialists on hand at the Command and Control Center who are trained in sign language.

For the electronic and marketing phase of the hotline, an amendment was made to the enrollment contracts in order to render them readable in sign language, offers were revised to make them relevant to those with hearing disabilities, and a methodology was developed for user-friendly prepaid cards that included a photo being uploaded to company’s app.

Umniah partnered with the Higher Council for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities to design a technical and awareness training program for its customer service team. The program, which was held at Umniah’s headquarters, delved into the best and most effective ways to communicate with people with hearing disabilities while offering them the latest services. The program will also guide Umniah’s employees on how to best communicate with local communities through key messaging that promotes the inclusion and integration of people with disabilities in society. The company has also committed to upgrading and equipping its headquarters in order to receive persons with disabilities, while the showroom will be modified to allow drive-through access.

Speaking at the signing of the MoU, Umniah CEO Ziad Shatara took the opportunity to thank HRH Prince Mired Bin Raad for his continuous support of persons with disabilities, highlighting his efforts to provide them with the means to guarantee a dignified life. He also praised the efforts of the Public Security Directorate (PSD) in providing the necessary facilities to implement this innovative national project. Shatara went on to thank Umniah’s partners in this exceptional project, which will have a tangible impact on persons with hearing disabilities in case of emergency, adding that Umniah is firmly committed to helping persons with disabilities integrate fully into society by offering them full user-friendly access to the services they require. According to Shatara, the hotline initiative is squarely in line with Umniah’s corporate social responsibly strategy, and its continuous efforts to reinforce the rights of the hearing-impaired. In the past, Umniah partnered with SignCom to provide services for the hearing-impaired using cutting-edge VRI video.

At the signing ceremony, HRH Prince Mired Bin Raad presented the TRC, the Public Security Directorate, Umniah and Zain, Orange and Globitel with certificates of appreciation from the Higher Council for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.