As CX leaders, many of us talk about accessibility. Craig Radford built a company because he could not get it.
In a recent interview with CX Today Craig Radford, CEO and President at 360 Direct Access shared his personal experience.
“I remember several years ago, I was in an airport… I was on hold for 45 minutes trying to get an interpreter on the phone. After finally reaching an interpreter, I then waited another 45 minutes for the airline, only to discover the interpreter made a mistake and booked me on the wrong flight.”
For Radford, who has been deaf his whole life, that moment was a turning point.
“There has to be a better way… Why can’t I talk directly with somebody in my own language instead of going through the interpreter?”
That question became 360 Direct Access, a deaf‑led CX platform that is now winning global awards, securing blue‑chip clients, and reshaping how enterprises think about service for deaf and hard of hearing customers.
A Founder Story Built On Lived Experience
360 Direct Access was founded to “solve my own problem,” as Radford put it. Yet the challenge is far bigger than one traveler at an airport.
Deaf customers are typically pushed through third‑party video relay services or English‑only chat. For many, English is a second language, so every interaction adds cognitive load, risk of misunderstanding, and extra handle time.
Radford highlighted the scale in his CX Today conversation:
“A lot of companies think that [relay] is free, but they don’t realize that they’re paying the English speaking reps to receive those calls… Our services reduce the call time by 42 percent.”
Globally, more than 70 million people use sign language to communicate, with 240 sign languages in use worldwide. In the U.S. alone, deaf sign language users represent a multibillion‑dollar economy and over $86 billion in spending power.
360 Direct Access exists to give those customers what regulators call “functional equivalence,” and what Radford describes much more simply:
“It feels like functional equivalence, like hearing people… A lot of them cry… They feel that equivalence, the experience is powerful.”
Inside The 360 Direct Access Platform
At the heart of 360 Direct Access is a WebRTC video platform and widget that drops into an enterprise website or app. It is designed “by and for the deaf community,” with culture and language built into the UX.
Key capabilities include:
Direct Sign Language Contact Center
- Deaf and signing representatives provide video‑based support in American Sign Language and other global sign languages.
- Enterprises can use fully managed 360 agents or license the platform for their own deaf and signing staff.
This eliminates the random third‑party interpreter problem highlighted in the company’s business case, where agents often lack product knowledge and context, leading to confusion and longer calls.
AI‑Powered Accessibility Features
Radford told CX Today that the team has “developed some amazing AI technology for hard of hearing people with AI transcription,” along with sign language recognition for fast queries and answers.
The platform roadmap and collateral highlight:
- Real‑time AI transcriptions and multilingual translation.
- Sign language recognition and signing avatars that act as a sign‑language chatbot, handling quick questions before escalating to a live representative.
- Sign Message, which lets customers leave a signed video message and receive a signed response later, widening access beyond live sessions.
Behind the scenes, 360 Direct Access partners with Bakstage.ai on WebRTC and AI, layering in sentiment analysis, instant call summaries, and personalized insights tailored to deaf interactions.
Enterprise‑Grade Security
For CX and IT leaders, security is non‑negotiable. The platform is: