Blind, visually impaired, and deafblind clients have the same challenge sighted clients do: Managing the flow of information, documents, and appointments that help them on the road to employment — while leading busy lives — is overwhelming. On the other end, overstretched counselors aim to help their clients gain personal independence without missing a milestone along the way. Success begins with communication that’s simpler for both sides, and not just accessible, but truly usable.
Additional barriers to overcome
Blind, visually impaired, and deafblind clients face added hurdles to employment: According to a 2023 study, visually impaired candidates saw a 30% lower employment-to-population ratio compared to their sighted peers. Issues like transportation, access to assistive technology, and effective onboarding are commonly cited barriers contributing to the gap. This is a case of clients (and their counselors) bending to the systems built for a sighted world. But much-needed alternatives are springing up.
What Sara is
Sara client communication software is a centralized hub for all your agency’s client communication. It adds seamlessly to your existing CMS and replaces a patchwork of platforms for email, meeting notes, and paper documents to handle that front line of two-way communication. It has helped VR and other human services agencies across the country:
- Improve communication
- Automate compliance
- Increase engagement
Client communication software that bends to the user
Sara’s accessibility and useability were assessed in partnership with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) as well as the Texas Workforce Commission’s accessibility teams. Involving end-users in the process was key to ensuring that the software went beyond minimum accessibility requirements and developed into a truly usable tool for all users. One common usability issue Sara addresses is ensuring that participants using screen readers never get stuck in a keyboard trap.
Configurations and workflows that make for an easier exchange
The main benefit to using Sara is the ability to reach clients through their preferred method of communication (SMS/text or email). Here are some other ways Sara helps staff and clients capture and respond to critical information accessibly:
| Sara is 508 compliant and can be configured to a specific accessibility device. | Use Sara with the most common accessibility tools on the market: JAWS, Fusion, ZoomText, etc. |
| Adjust Sara’s text size and set the user interface to light or dark mode according to your needs. | Automatically convert a photo for document compliance into a PDF and download for Optical Character Recognition (OCR) scanning. |
| Make all communications via Sara text-based by default, allowing clients to use their screen reader or magnifier of choice. | Automate your outreach to Pre-ETS students who prefer communicating via their mobile devices. |
| Sara automatically records all correspondence as case notes. | Use Sara Video (HIPAA-compliant telecounseling) to meet clients in their own homes and remove the barrier of transportation. |
Specialized training for blind, visually impaired, and deafblind counselors.
SaraWorks, the team behind the software, trains each agency according to their workflow and compliance requirements. We go a step further to train assistive technology users, providing 1×1 support. We’ve provided tailored training for counselors from agencies in Texas, Nevada, and from the VA Hospital. These counselors can confidently communicate Sara’s accessibility features and workflows with their clients, setting both parties up for a smoother information exchange, and fewer barriers to a successful outcome.
