Yes, for adjustments on an approved list: large print or braille documents, a different contact channel, more time to respond, home collection instead of drop-off. The agent applies them, records the need with the customer's consent so it sticks, and never asks for a diagnosis. Anything new, and any decision to refuse an adjustment, goes to a person.
What makes accessibility different from other requests?
Two things. First, refusing a reasonable adjustment can be unlawful. Equality and disability law in many markets expects businesses to adapt how they serve disabled customers, so a "no" from an agent is not a routine refusal. It is a decision with legal weight, and it belongs to a person.
Second, the information is sensitive. Health data is special-category data under GDPR, and similar protections apply elsewhere. The business needs to record the adjustment, such as "send documents in large print", not the condition behind it.
Is the agent itself accessible?
Ask this before anything else. A chat-only support channel can be a barrier: for some screen reader users, for people with cognitive impairments who struggle with fast exchanges, for customers who cannot type. The agent should write in plain language, avoid time-outs that end conversations early, and always offer another route, such as phone, a relay service or email.
An accessibility request that arrives through the agent is a sign the channel worked. Plenty never arrive because it did not.
What may the agent do, and what stays with a person?
| Request | The agent | A person |
|---|---|---|
| Documents in large print, braille or audio | Applies the preference and records it | Arranges production |
| Contact only by email or text | Applies it | Decides for messages that must go by post |
| More time to respond to a deadline | Applies the standard extension | Approves longer ones |
| Home collection instead of drop-off for a return | Books it under the adjustment policy | None |
| Request not on the approved list | Records it and hands over | Decides |
| Any decision to refuse an adjustment | Never | Decides and explains |
| Customer shares health details | Records the adjustment only, with consent | Reviews if health data must be held |
Adjustments often surface inside other requests. A customer may need help to return an item, covered in how to handle returns requests with an AI agent, or to cancel without an online form, as in how to handle cancellation requests with an AI agent.
What does this look like in practice?
Take a home appliance retailer. A customer with limited mobility asks to return a microwave but cannot carry it to a drop-off point. The adjustment policy lists free home collection for customers who cannot use drop-off. The agent books a collection, confirms the date, and asks whether the customer would like this noted for future orders. They say yes. The agent records "home collection for returns" on the account, with consent, and nothing about the reason.
A second customer asks for all support to be provided by video call in sign language. This is not on the approved list. The agent does not say no. It records the request, tells the customer a person will reply within one working day, and hands over. The person arranges a relay service the retailer already contracts.
Which controls make it safe?
- An approved list of adjustments in the policy library, owned by a named person.
- A hard rule that the agent never refuses an adjustment.
- Adjustments recorded with consent, with no diagnostic detail.
- Adjustments carried across every process, including complaints and warranty claims.
- Alternative channels offered in every conversation, not only when asked.
Adjustments also apply when things go wrong, as in whether an AI agent can handle customer complaints and whether it can handle warranty claims. The wider principle, that a support agent should know when to stop, is in the guide to AI customer support agents.
Questions people ask
Can the agent ask why the customer needs an adjustment?
Only what is needed to choose the right adjustment. It should not ask about a diagnosis.
Is an accessibility need the same as vulnerability?
They overlap but are not the same. Some disabled customers are not vulnerable in the sense of needing extra protection, and treating them as if they were can feel patronising.
What if the adjustment costs the business money?
Cost is one factor a person weighs. It is not a reason for the agent to refuse.