2 days ago
Cards help parcel delivery service customers with impaired hearing
A card shows the types of goods being sent and the way they should be handled. (Provided by Yamato Transport Co.)
Help is at hand for customers who have hearing problems or difficulty speaking Japanese at Yamato Transport Co.'s parcel delivery service.
The company has developed a set of 13 cards featuring text and illustrations that senders can point to while filling out a delivery form. These cards are now available at the company's 767 sales offices in Tokyo and the Kansai region.
Customers who struggle to understand Japanese can choose a delivery time or specify how goods should be handled by pointing to cards with illustrations and text indicating 'Fragile' or 'This side up,' for example.
The Communication Board cards are currently available with text in Japanese and English.
Yamato Transport, which offers the Ta-Q-Bin home delivery service, plans to add Chinese and Korean versions as well.
Yamato Transport began developing the cards last year after an employee, who wanted to ease interactions with those with hearing impairments, proposed the idea.
The employee had noticed how time consuming sending a parcel was for customers who could only communicate with employees by writing messages.
The company improved the cards by incorporating feedback from employees with hearing impairments and related nonprofit organizations.
The cards will be available at sales offices nationwide around autumn.
