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Giga! boosts app accessibility for Singapore's disabled community

Mon, 8th Apr 2024

Giga!, powered by StarHub, has debuted a collection of new accessibility features in its mobile app in a pivotal step towards inclusivity and accessibility for People with Disabilities (PWDs) in Singapore, endorsing the Digital for Life (DfL) movement. These additions aim to dismantle barriers and promote digital independence, driving the principle of equivalent access to mobile services and data.

"As advocates for equal access and innovation, Giga! is proud to lead the way in prioritising accessibility and AI integration," explained Johan Buse, Chief Consumer Business Group at StarHub. "As a DfL Partner, we're dedicated to dismantling barriers and empowering PWDs. Our incorporation of advanced AI technology demonstrates our endeavour to offer the best for our customers. These initiatives accentuate Giga!'s commitment to creating new benchmarks in the telecommunications industry as we continue to focus on digital innovation, social inclusion, and the customer experience."

The fresh accessibility functionalities augment Giga!'s escalating support for the DfL movement implemented since 2022 and are smoothly integrated to render the app experience more inclusive and accessible for the PWD community. Several key features include Text-to-Speech compatibility with familiar screen readers for visually impaired users, Adjustable Text size for improved readability, and High Contrast mode, offering adjustable colour contrast options for visually impaired customers.

Further inclusive points are Closed Captions and Transcripts for the benefit of users with hearing impairments, and Focus Management, providing clear focus indicators and logical navigation flow aiding individuals with cognitive impairments. Also, the Audio Description feature utilises assistant capabilities in devices for seamless app launching.

Complementarily, Giga! has extended free subscription benefits for an additional year, totalling two years of free service for all PWDs on Giga! lines. This advancement builds upon Giga!'s ongoing support for PWDs, propelled by the gigaCares ethos of equal access to Connectivity. In alignment with the DfL movement's mission to foster a digitally inclusive society, this initiative symbolises Giga!'s commitment to inclusivity and social responsibility.

In addition to the accessibility enhancements, Giga! is uplifting customer service on both the Giga! app and website by upgrading its chatbot, Gino, with OpenAI technology. By utilising the power of Large Language Models (LLM) from OpenAI, the upgrade enhances context understanding and provides superior guided responses for customer enquiries. Thus, Giga!'s customer interaction with Gino will now be more intuitive and effective, optimising the overall customer experience.

As a service to the community and a step towards a more inclusive society, these initiatives by Giga! display a commendable effort to bring technology and digital resources closer to people with disabilities. Incorporating advanced Artificial Intelligence (AI) and making inclusivity a priority, Giga! continues to set higher standards in meeting the requirements of all its users while aligning with the Digital For Life movement's aspirations.

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