Corporate Hands | Scotiabank launches sign language training for frontline staff

Clients with a speech or hearing disability will find it easier to communicate with frontline staff at Scotiabank using sign language. Scotiabank, through its Diversity and Inclusion Council, has partnered with trained sign language instructor, Neville Anthony Aiken, to train client-facing staff members in sign language to better serve its diverse clientele.

The initiative, which was launched at the Half-Way Tree location, is a part of the bank’s commitment to positively impact communities and to ensure that there is unencumbered access to services offered. The training of staff will not only enable clients to communicate more effectively with representatives of the bank but will also demonstrate the priority placed on persons with disabilities.

Over 100 Scotiabank staff members have received training to date with other training sessions scheduled. Morris Nelson, senior vice president of corporate and commercial banking, stated that, “Equipping our team to better communicate with clients who are deaf is very important, especially because we interact with this group frequently. Scotiabank prioritises inclusion of people with visible and non-visible disabilities and seeks every opportunity to promote an environment where all our clients will feel comfortable doing business with us.”

Deaf C.A.N.! Coffee, a gospel-rooted social enterprise which employs and trains deaf persons in the art of coffee and baking, participated in the training session offering staff members samples of their branded coffee and sweet treats.

After training sessions, Scotiabank staff members will be able to sign basic customer service terms while videos from the sessions will also be used to do refresh training as well as train new staff members.