According to the WHO, about 15 percent of the global population – approximately one billion people – live with some form of disability. Despite this huge number, considerations around accessibility remain an afterthought for many companies around the world. When companies do think about accessibility, especially as it relates to work environments, most focus on the layout and design of physical office space. However, physical space is only one of many considerations that need to be taken into account. Some disabilities, whether they be physical, neurological or mental, are invisible, and yet they are just as important. We may not all be able to grasp what it truly means to live life with a disability. But, at Poly, we are going to try. This year for Global Accessibility Awareness Day, we’re putting a big focus on increasing our internal dialogue around the importance of accessibility awareness within Poly’s corporate culture.
At Poly we embrace our potential to foster accessibility inclusion on a global scale by delivering technology solutions that help give everyone an equitable seat at the meeting table. Some of our products integrate features that are helpful to those with accessibility challenges, especially in today’s hybrid work environment. For example, Poly headsets have built-in audio cues like “muted” that let people with vision or neurodiversity challenges know if their microphone is on or off in addition to active noise canceling, which is great for people with sound-related sensory integration issues.
Conference rooms are another area where accessibility is not always considered. Poly conference phones are equipped with auto-answering so those who cannot manually answer a phone don’t have to do so to join a call. Our video conferencing systems also offer a flexible experience thanks to multiple controller options. Instead of a one-kind-fits-all design, the redundancy of controller options allows people to utilize the controls that suit them best. This, coupled with the speaker tracking on most of our new cameras, help create a more equitable conferencing experience for those with disabilities—including blindness, mobility impairments and some cognitive challenges.
In a recent blog titled Poly Innovations Support a More Inclusive Workforce, we highlighted some great anecdotal feedback from our customer Amicus Therapeutics, who deployed a Poly Studio P15 to help an employee whose disability requires him to use a ventilator. The use of Poly’s unique NoiseBlock AI technology to eliminate the background noise from his ventilator gave this team member the confidence to be a much more active participant in team meetings.
Poly recognizes its role in creating and upholding an inclusive, accessible workplace where everyone feels they belong. Our Global Services team is equipped to communicate and deliver the design, deployment, optimization and support for more accessible global workspaces. While our products, which make workspaces effective, already hit a lot of requirements across the portfolio for accessibility, we are continuously innovating to improve and establish greater consistency across all our products. Return to our blog later this year to read about new products that will have more specific accessibility features designed right in!
Internally, we are fortunate to have passionate people at Poly who are committed to addressing ability bias and improving accessibility standards throughout the business. Just this year, an Accessibility Council was formed and between May 9 and May 13 they led a series of activities designed to raise awareness and cultivate empathy around accessibility. Their work on internal initiatives like this are important as is their collaboration with cross-functional teams, influencing our culture and our products.
Our Inclusion, Diversity, Education and Awareness (IDEA) program leader, Estelle Jackson, hosted an educational webinar on accessibility, covering Poly’s journey and aspirations. The Accessibility Council also hosted lunch and learn sessions, featuring “day in the life” activities that help employees empathize and understand the challenges others face and, most importantly, how to support each other in an inclusive way.
As a global technology company, we know we are in a position to make a real difference. By enabling businesses and professionals with accessible audio and video services and solutions, we can make the world of work more equitable. We are proud to be making progress on our accessibility journey and raising awareness around these important issues is a critical step.
]]>If you are going to school this Fall, education will likely look quite different. Although many plans are still in flux, administrators around the world are preparing their students and teachers for “hybrid” or “blended” learning approaches.
Some educational institutions may go back to the classroom, others will remain teaching online 100%, and some are taking a hybrid approach where teachers will have some students in the classroom and some at home. A hybrid model allows for maximum flexibility but requires the most change management for educators, students, and IT staff, as everyone starts the new school year soon.
In this post, I will share how Poly solutions can help hybrid learning experiences, no matter where class participants are located. Whether you are at home, in the classroom, or hybrid, these are our top tools for helping students stay engaged, feel connected, and remain focused on learning.
To accommodate a teacher’s natural style, Presenter Tracking on the Poly Studio USB video bar allows teachers to move around the classroom or their home while being seen in stunning 4K clarity. Additionally, this device features simple USB connectivity – so teachers can get their virtual classrooms up and running fast.
If you have two students distance learning in the same room, the Poly Blackwire 8225 is the ideal headset, as it was designed specifically to keep the user distraction-free and in the zone. Our robust Acoustic Fence technology keeps unwanted background noise out of the lesson for both ends of the call, while its simple corded design is easy for all ages to use.
To help your remote students hear you clearly, use the Poly Voyager 5200. This discrete, portable Bluetooth headset has wind and noise cancellation and a rigorously tested ergonomic design for all-day comfort.
Regardless if you’re the teacher or the student, having high-quality video allows classroom participants to feel like they are in the same room together. The EagleEye Mini is a small USB camera that is easy to use from home or the classroom. This smart little camera packs a punch with high definition 1080p video, electronic pan, tilt, and 4x zoom so everyone can see your expressions.
During lessons conducted over video, NoiseBlockAI baked into the Poly Studio X family, Studio USB, and G7500 prevents unwanted sounds from getting into the call and ensures your voice transmits clearly.
With many unknowns ahead, the good news is that there are tools that can make your remote education experience seamless and enjoyable for all. If you are an educator and have questions, reach out to our Poly consultants to navigate through scenarios and best practices or, view our education brochure on Poly’s education page for ideas.
Whatever your return to school might look, have some fun with these virtual LEARN-ing reminders:
For teachers, students, and parents alike, take a deep breath. With the proper communications tools, the right etiquette, and a little patience you will be ready when the school bell rings and we go back to learning.
]]>Around the world, teachers have moved their classrooms online in an effort to ensure social distancing. As I catch up with my teacher friends, I listen as they tell me about the ways in which they’re needing to adjust to not having a physical classroom or studio. They express their concerns about teaching remotely and we postulate how long this will go on. With each conversation I am amazed by their resilience and dedication to master their remote teaching skills so quickly. Although most have already been thrown in the deep end of distance education, I’d like to share some tips from my 15+ years of remote collaboration experience that will hopefully help teachers leading their virtual classrooms.
It has been great to see the educators in my network rise to the challenge of remote instruction. We all need to remember that everyone is working in unique and challenging circumstances right now, so it’s especially important to be patient, and help others as they learn to connect and engage online.
Visit Poly.com for more on remote working strategies and solutions.
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