LANSING — The Unemployment Insurance Agency has added a virtual appointment option for customers needing assistance with their claims, including a dedicated link for customers who are deaf or hard of hearing utilizing voice to text closed captioning.

In addition to phone and in-person appointments, customers can now also schedule virtual appointments. Virtual appointments provide the personal contact with a customer service agent with the convenience of a remote connection.

The 20-minute virtual appointments can be scheduled online up to one week in advance at “https://www.michigan.gov/leo/0,5863,7-336-94422_97241—,00.html”>Michigan.gov/uia. Click on ““https://www.michigan.gov/leo/0,5863,7-336-94422_97241_102694—,00.html?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery”>Schedule an Appointment.” The UIA expects to schedule up to 340 virtual appointments per day.

“We’re excited to expand the ways that customers can get one-on-one service if they need assistance with their claim,” said Liza Estlund Olson, acting director of the Unemployment Insurance Agency. “Offering virtual appointments, also helps us to be more responsive to our customers who are deaf or hard of hearing.”

“The UIA’s efforts to implement a virtual meeting platform option and enhance service accessibility to the public, particularly at this time, are excellent,” said the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity’s Office of Employment and Training Director Stephanie Beckhorn. “The platform’s real-time captioning and chat features may provide those with disabilities, such as deafness, hearing loss or other disabilities, a readily available accommodation option to engage in and receive UIA services.”

Once the virtual appointment is scheduled, customers will receive an email with a link to join the appointment via Google Meet at the appointed day and time. Customers will need to have a Gmail account to join from a mobile device. They do not need to have a Gmail account to join from a computer.

Hours of operation for virtual appointments are:

— Monday through Wednesday from 8:15 a.m. to 4:25 p.m.

— Thursday and Friday from 8:15 a.m. to 3:35 p.m.

In addition to scheduling a virtual appointment, Customers may contact UIA by:

— Calling the UIA Customer Service telephone line at 866-500-0017.

— Chat with an agent through the Michigan Web Account Manager (MiWAM) at From the MiWAM home page, click on I want to . . . Chat with an Agent.

— Schedule a phone appointment or in-person appointment at Michigan.gov/uia. Click on Schedule an Appointment.

Customers in need of other special accommodations to participate in a virtual meeting should request the accommodation when initially scheduling their appointment.

So far, the Agency has held more than 12,000 virtual appointments, including 212 which utilized the closed captioning feature.

This video explains how to set up an appointment for customers who are deaf or hard of hearing. For hours of operation and office locations, visit the UIA website at michigan.gov/uia.