Danone France, Danone Eaux France and Blédina join forces with GuideCaro to make their consumer services Danone&Vous and bledina.com more accessible to deaf people
Deafness is the most common form of disability in France, affecting 8% of the population (5 million people). Deaf people mainly communicate using sign language, and therefore use different syntax. Consequently, they often find it difficult to use tools that are not adapted for them.
That is why Groupe Danone's French subsidiaries (Danone France, Danone Eaux France and Blédina) have joined forces with GuideCaro to provide deaf people with easier access to their consumer services, Danone&Vous and bledina.com. Deaf consumers can now benefit from all the services available, like any other consumer (nutritional information, specific questions about quality, packaging, recipes, the Group's policy and so on).
By clicking on the deafness sign (a crossed ear) on www.danoneetvous.com and www.bledina.com websites, deaf people can contact one of the Group's French subsidiaries through six different communication tools (webcam, webchat, SMS, fax, email and form). This service is available from Monday to Friday, from 11:30 am to 2:30 pm.
This initiative, the first of its kind in Europe, is deeply rooted in Danone's key values. Its purpose is not only to increase Danone’s proximity relationship with its consumers, but also to go further in the efforts to grant everyone with the same level of care and attention, without discrimination.
GuideCaro, created in June 2005, is a company that aims to enable deaf people to live their everyday lives in complete independence. It acts as a relay centre that offers a range of services for the deaf, such as arranging meetings, writing administrative correspondence, providing news, a forum for discussion, etc. GuideCaro has also created its own “Sourdline” service www.sourdline.com
French leader in fresh dairy products with a share of over 30% of the market, Danone France is present in every segment with its brands, which include Danone, Activia, Actimel, Taillefine, Danette, Danacol, and also Velouté, Petit Gervais aux Fruits, Gervita and Fjord. In 2007 Danone France operated six production sites, eight logistics platforms, and employed 2,500 people.
French leader in baby nutrition, Blédina puts 100 years of expertise and know-how at the service of children and their parents with 100% dedicated activity. Blédina holds more than 50% market shares in France and has integrated Groupe Danone’s baby nutrition division in 2007: Danone Baby Nutrition (n°2 worldwide). Blédina’s mission is: “giving support to parents, because children’s nutrition between 0 and 3 years old contributes building their health for the future.”
Danone Eaux France, provides great-tasting natural mineral waters and spring water based beverages that respect nutritional requirements. All are made using water of the highest quality. The company's natural mineral waters and spring water based beverages brands are as follows: Badoit, Evian, Volvic, La Salvetat and Taillefine.
