[blindlaw] FW: Blind Customers Take Action against the Cell Phone Industry

Tue Aug 7 14:52:53 CDT 2007

FYI 

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-justice at jfanow.org [mailto:owner-justice at jfanow.org] On
Behalf Of Justice For All Moderator
Sent: Monday, August 06, 2007 2:46 PM
To: justice at jfanow.org
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
amontaguegray at afb.net

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 aapdjenifer at aol.com

SOURCE: American Foundation for the Blind.
________________________________________________________________

For more telecommunications issues, see:
http://www.aapd.com/News/telecomm/index_tc.php

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