We want to find ways to make mobile phones easier to use, particularly for customers who are elderly, deaf, hard of hearing, blind, visually impaired or have other disabilities. We call this accessibility.
Accessibility is usually associated with disability, but difficulty using devices such as mobile phones is more widespread. Many people who do not have a serious disability still have difficulty using the full functionality of a mobile phone, handling a handset, pressing keys to operate and reading the screen (see inclusive design). Vodafone views this as both a social and commercial challenge.
We offer a range of products and services that increase access to communications for customers who are:
- Blind or visually impaired such as text-to-speech software enabling blind people to listen to text messages
- Deaf or hard of hearing such as push-to-talk technology enabling deaf people to communicate in real time on their mobile phones.
- Elderly such as easy-to-use handsets, social alarms and tele-assistance services.
Our aim is to offer at least one product or service that facilitates access to telecommunications for hearing impaired, visually impaired and elderly customers in each of our markets by March 2011. See our performance to date in this year’s CR Report.
We also offer personal medical phones with built-in equipment to help people with special healthcare needs monitor chronic medical conditions (see m-health).
In addition to our own research and product development, we engage with regulators to develop policy that will improve access to communications services for people with disabilities. For example, Vodafone is engaging with the European Commission on emergency services access for deaf and disabled customers. We are also participating in the Commission’s e-inclusion initiative to develop an accessible communications service that would be compatible with existing technology across all media. See public policy.
We are also trialling measures to make it easier for people with disabilities to access information about our products and services in-store. For example, T-loop functionality installed in stores in Spain enable deaf people to use their hearing aids and make it easier for them to communicate with our retail staff.