For many team members and customers in the deaf and hard-of-hearing community, sign language interpretation is critical — but having an interpreter on hand isn’t always an option. So a diverse group of people across multiple teams at Apple came together to provide access to interpretation on short notice.
“We felt strongly that we needed to solve the question, ‘How can we facilitate communication with our deaf and hard-of-hearing colleagues and customers in the way that works best for them?’”
Sarah Herrlinger
Global Accessibility Policy and Initiatives
Traditional in-person sign language interpretation services require booking in advance and are challenging to scale, especially in the context of customer service and internal teams. So this cross-functional group collaborated to create an experience that would be a viable and immediate alternative for Apple customers and employees alike.
“We considered not just what would be adequate support, but what would really deliver an experience that recognizes and embraces people’s differences and cultures,” says Antony Kennedy, People Accessibility.
The result of these efforts is SignTime. SignTime helps people communicate with AppleCare and Retail Customer Care in their web browsers using American Sign Language (ASL) in the United States and Canada, British Sign Language (BSL) in the United Kingdom, and French Sign Language (LSF) in France. In 2023, the service launched in Australia, Japan (where it is known as HandTime), Germany (where it is known as SignChat), Spain, Italy, and Korea. In addition to in-person interpreters, customers visiting Apple Store locations can use SignTime to access a sign language interpreter remotely without booking ahead of time.
“At Apple, we provide tools for our team to do their best work. Equitable access to language is especially powerful within the deaf community, and SignTime is a step forward in that direction,” says Gus Shitama, Global Accessibility Policy and Initiatives.
SignTime has already made a difference in how the team connects — both with each other and with customers. “After SignTime was released, I felt a stronger sense of belonging because it bridged the communication gap that previously existed,” says Ricky Winarta, Apple Carnegie Library. “This made it easier to build relationships, removed any unnecessary barriers when typing back and forth with customers and coworkers, and made the customer’s experience better.”
