Introduction
This factsheet contains details about mobile phones that are accessible to visually impaired people – especially those that can be operated by people who cannot use the screen display.
While it is important to choose the right phone and tariff, customers should also check that bills and instructions are available in accessible formats.
Low vision
There is no “Big Button” style mobile phone currently available. However, the displays on some phones are easier to see than others. For example, some partially sighted users find the font size adjustment facility on the Sony Ericsson T68i and T300 mobile phones enables them to usefully enlarge the text on the screen.
The best advice is to try out several models in a mobile phone retailer and decide what you think of the accessibility of the handsets on offer for yourself.
Blindness
Many people with no useful vision use standard mobile phones for the purposes of making calls with few problems. Even if screen-based facilities such as menus and text messaging are not available via synthetic speech it needn’t stop the phone being used to make and receive calls.
It is often possible to set up speed dialling or voice-activated dialling although this usually requires sighted assistance.
Orange offer an automated personal assistant service controlled by voice recognition. This can be used to store and retrieve numbers, and as a personal organiser. It has been withdrawn from general use but is still available to blind and partially sighted customers.
Phones that ‘speak’
Alva Mobile Phone Organiser (product code: HM01), £2795.00
This product is a new personal organiser. It has a Braille display as well as synthetic speech and has Braille input keys.
The device has functionality that one would expect of a basic organiser – calendar/diary/clock, basic word processing, calculator, to do list, contact list, etc. It also has a mobile phone on-board – using it in hands-free mode or with the headset, one can make and receive mobile phone calls, send and receive texts, and have access to all standard available mobile services.
This is the first product of its type and it has been built to accommodate future software upgrades that will begin to emerge over the next six months.
Other pricing models will become available through mobile service operators.
Owasys 22C
This phone will be available from RNIB, the expected launch date is January 2005.
The Owasys 22C is a ‘talking mobile phone’. All basic functions are spoken using synthetic speech built in to the phone. The phone has no visual display, but has well spaced easy to find buttons.
The functions include text messaging reading and writing, call diversion and general handling, ringing tone selection, hands-free option (through the loud speaker). The battery lasts for around 280 hours on standby.
This is the first in a line of products from Owasys that are aimed at visually impaired people and people who cannot use (or don’t wish to use) a standard visual display. It has been designed to be simple to use whilst having the same functionality as any regular mobile phone.
The estimated price will be in the order of £300 on a pay-as-you-go option and we would like you to register your interest with us so we can better estimate customer demand. Just email technews@rnib.org.uk with your name and contact number to register interest.
If you have any questions concerning the Owasys 22C Please email ict@rnib.org.uk
Information will be distributed at launch through the usual channels.
Talks
Talks is synthetic speech software that has been developed for incorporation into mobile devices. The operating platform on which this system works is either Simbian 60 or Simbian 80. This is a relatively new platform that a great number of mobile manufacturers are adopting including Nokia, Ericsson, Siemens, etc.
Talks was first made available on the Nokia 9210i product – a communicator that includes a phone, along with a range of other items like word processing, calendar and diary, mp3 player, present IT (a PowerPoint-type option) and much more. It is a relatively complex piece of equipment, which comprises two distinct parts – the phone and the organiser. The phone is a regular Nokia design which forms the front of the unit; the front can be opened – on a hinge – which reveals a small qwerty keyboard with function keys – it is this part of the product that is accessible. The phone communicates with the organiser and the organiser communicates back so all phone operations can largely be conducted from the accessible organiser.
Talks will work on any of the series 60 or 80 Simbian operating system phones. However, not all Simbian based phones are appropriate for loading Talks software since many have inaccessible button layouts or very difficult ones, touchscreen access to functions, and so on.
You can get Talks from Computer Room Services (telephone 01438 742286), as an upgrade to an existing or on a pay as you go phone. You can download and install a demo (note: several of the current models need bluetooth or infra-red to do this), and have then have it upgrade to a full version by obtaining and entering a code from Computer Room Services that's based on the IMEI number for your particular handset. Alternatively, Computer Room Services will do the installation for you, this may carry a small additional charge. The charge for Talks is £150
Talks software will work on the following mobile phones: Nokia 6600, 6260, 7610 and Ngage; and the Siemens SX1.
There are also three other good access products around now: Mobile Accessibility from Rammland (telephone 07801 734722), which works with the same phones as Talks but simplifies the menus and presents just the main features users may want; and Mobile Speak and Mobile Magnifier, again for same phones and doing what their names imply, from Tieman (telephone 0115 939 1391).
Further information and contact details
For an article in AccessWorld, July 2004, “Three Cell Phones with Speech Output” follow this link.
RNIB Hi-Tech: 0207 391 2280
RNIB Customer Services
PO Box 173
Peterborough
PE2 6WS
0845 766 9999
Email: cservices@rnib.org.uk
RNIB HELPLINE: 08457 66 99 99 (Textphone: 0800 085 3210)
For information, support and advice for anyone with a serious sight problem, we can:
· Put you in touch with specialist advice services
· Send you free information and leaflets
· Give you details of support groups and services in your area.
Call Monday to Friday 9.00am-5.00pm. All calls treated in confidence
Orange: 0800 801080
Carphone Warehouse: 0808 100 9250
Computer Room Services: 01438 742286
Rammland: 07801 734722
Tieman: 0115 939 1391
November 2005
Royal National Institute of the Blind
Registered charity number: 226227
