----- Original Message ----- From: "Justice For All Moderator" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Tuesday, August 07, 2007 3:15 AM Subject: Blind Customers Take Action against the Cell Phone Industry
> Blind Customers Take Action against the Cell Phone Industry > > August 2, 2007 > > Washington, DC - Blind and visually impaired customers are taking > legal action against the cell phone industry in an effort to > improve cell phone accessibility. This week, 11 customers from > across the country filed complaints with the Federal > Communications Commission (FCC), which enforces Section 255, the > law that requires phones to be designed to be accessible for > people with disabilities. Complaints were filed against both the > cell phone carriers and manufacturers. > > "These complaints illustrate a market failure on the part of the > cell phone industry to address accessibility," said Paul > Schroeder, VP, Programs and Policy Group at the American > Foundation for the Blind. "While some companies have taken steps, > consumers with vision loss have few good options for > accessibility, and almost no reliable information about > accessibility." > > There is a growing need for accessible phones given the increasing > rates of vision loss. Experts predict that by 2030, rates of > severe vision loss will double along with the country's aging > population. For people with vision loss, finding a cell phone with > a readable screen or with voice output of essential features like > menus or text messages is almost impossible. Some companies, like > AT&T, have taken the lead on providing accessible phones. But too > often the handsets and services are not designed to be user- > friendly for those who are blind or visually impaired. Earlier > this month, AFB initiated a campaign called 255 Action to help > people with vision loss understand access requirements, and if > necessary, file complaints. As part of that campaign, AFB sent > letters to leading cell phone service providers and manufacturers > asking what they are doing to meet the needs of people with vision > loss. Frequent complaints from blind and visually impaired cell > phone customers include: > > * cell phones do not provide for audio output of information > displayed on the screen; > * the visual displays on most phones are hard to read; > * numeric and control keys are not easy to distinguish by touch; > and > * product manuals or phone bills are not available in braille, > large print, or other formats they can read. > * The complaints filed with the FCC came from customers in > Florida, Georgia, Colorado, California, and West Virginia. > > QUOTES FROM FCC FILINGS > > Problems Purchasing Equipment > > "In November 2006, I asked for assistance in identifying and > purchasing a new telephone. The agent was completely uninformed > regarding available phones with built-in accessibility features > for a Blind user. Indeed, the representative did not even > understand what features a Blind user would need in purchasing a > phone."Melissa Green, Greeley, CO > > Phones Features Are Inaccessible > > "I cannot text message, surf the Internet, or use the phonebook. > Additionally, the numbers displayed on the keypad are too small > for me to read, thus I have to use the voice recognition feature > to call contacts in my phonebook. This poses some limitations, > because I can only program in ten names, yet I have many more > contacts than this amount."Douglas Brooks, Winston, GA > > "Even after setting my phone's level of brightness to the highest > level, I still have to use a closed circuit television (cctv) to > read the text displayed. This magnification device is quite large, > encompassing a television set with a similar sized stand. This > defeats the "mobile" aspect of my phone, since I have to wait > until I am at home to enter contacts in the phonebook, change > settings, etc."Richard Rueda, Union City, CA. > > Documentation Is Inaccessible > > "Upon receiving my phone, I was given an inaccessible print manual > explaining how to use the phone. However, because I am totally > Blind, I cannot read the text on the instruction manual. My > phone's instruction manual is in a pdf file, which I have > difficulty accessing with my computer's screen reading software > because graphical representations are used to instruct a person on > how to use the phone."George Roberts, Orlando, FL > > Phones With Access Software Cost More > > "In order to access the features of the MotorolaQ, I had to make > an additional out-of-pocket purchase of Mobile Speaks (a screen > reader) to access the cell phone features. While this phone is > more accessible than the Katana with my add-on software, it was > quite expensive, and I would not have purchased it if my previous > phone was accessible. Being Blind forced me to stretch my budget > to the limits in order to have access to my cell phone's > features."Tony Claive, Winter Park, FL > > Customer Service Is Inadequate and Accessibility > Features/Information are Unavailable > > "I went to my local Sprint store, and explained that I was legally > blind and looking for an accessible cell phone. The salesperson > did let me know about getting my bill in large print format. > Sprint's representatives were unable to provide me with a > description of the accessibility and compatibility features of > their phones."Dennis Wyant, Melbourne, FL > > ### > > Media Contact: > Adrianna Montague-Gray > AFB Communications > 212-502-7675 > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Press Release at http://www.afb.org/Section.asp?DocumentID=3596 > > EDITORS NOTE: To file your complaint at the FCC about an > inaccessible cell phone, use FCC online form at > http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/cib/fcc475.cfm (Tips: You must name a > company in 2a; Put zeroes in the boxes if you don't have the > company phone number; describe your concern in answer to Question > 2f and you should ask for a remedy). For further information on > accessible telecommunications and technology, please contact AAPD > staffer Jenifer Simpson at [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > SOURCE: American Foundation for the Blind. > ________________________________________________________________ > > For more telecommunications issues, see: > http://www.aapd.com/News/telecomm/index_tc.php > > # # # > > MODERATOR, Anne Sommers, JUSTICE FOR ALL -- A Service of the > American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD). To > contact Anne, please email her at [EMAIL PROTECTED] To > respond to a JFA alert or to submit an article, please see > http://www.aapd.com/JFA/JFAcontent.html. > > DISCLAIMER: The JFA Listserv is designed to share information > of interest to people with disabilities and promote dialogue > in the disability community. Information circulated does not > necessarily express the views of AAPD. The JFA Listserv is > non-partisan. > > JFA ARCHIVES: All JFA postings from 1995 to present are > available at: http://www.jfanow.org/jfanow/ > > JOIN AAPD! There's strength in numbers! Be a part of a national > coalition of people with disabilities and join AAPD today at > http://www.aapd.com. > > Justice-For-All FREE Subscriptions > To subscribe or unsubscribe, > send an email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > with subscribe justice OR unsubscribe justice > in the body of your email message. To unsubscribe send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in
