Breaking Barriers: Leveraging AI to Enhance Deaf and HOH Services

Chris Soukup '25 (Online Executive MBA), CEO of Communication Service for the Deaf (CSD), published "How companies can use AI to better serve deaf and hard of hearing customers" in Harvard Business Review on September 17, 2024. In the article, Soukup encourages companies to, "lean on the vision and spirit of the ADA to create more inclusive and accessible customer service programs in this era of AI." CSD is a pioneer of accessible communication services and technologies for the deaf community for nearly 50 years, including the first nationwide video relay service and ASL Now, the leading DVC solution in the United States. As a current student in the online executive MBA program, Soukup credits the program as a source of inspiration for the publication. "My experience in the RIT (Online) EMBA program has been imbued with a significant amount of professional reflection and personal introspection," Chris shared. "All of the instructors involved with this immersive program have emphasized the real world applications of the education I am receiving. The RIT EMBA has been foundational in shaping and aligning the pursuit of my long-range personal and professional goals. The growth that I have experienced through this program has inspired new ideas and has motivated me to further expand my contributions to the work of deaf and disability communities as we collectively endeavor to create a more equitable world for everyone."