[Tn-talk] Accessible Cell Phones! Good News For Blind Cell Phone Users

[Heather Field]

For Your Information
Taken from
http://tinyurl.com/yu3o9n
ATT Expands Wireless Offerings for Customers With Disabilities
    ATT Launching New Services to Support Customers With Special Needs
    SAN ANTONIO, July 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- ATT Inc. (NYSE:
T
) has
announced plans to launch new wireless software products this year to
increase usability for customers who are blind or visually impaired. ATT
will partner with Code Factory to offer two new products: Mobile Speak and
Mobile Magnifier, both for Windows Mobile and Symbian Series 60 operating
system devices.
    ATT consults with leaders from the disability community to develop
product and service offerings designed to meet the needs of customers with
vision loss. "By working closely with organizations that are committed to
serving seniors or people with disabilities, ATT is able to better
understand the unique needs of its customers," said Carlton Hill, vice
president of Product Management for ATT's wireless unit. "These new software
options will help make it easier for all individuals to enjoy a digital
lifestyle wherever they go."
    "Code Factory's mission is to make it possible for visually impaired
consumers to use the most advanced mobile technology," said Eduard Sanches,
CEO of Code Factory. "ATT has a long track record of enabling communications
for all of its customers, and we are very pleased to partner with them to
make even more mobile devices accessible to the visually impaired."
    Mobile Speak is a powerful, full-fledged screen reader with an
easy-to-learn command structure, intuitive speech feedback in several
languages and Braille support that can be used with or without speech.
Unlike other screen readers for mobile phones, Mobile Speak automatically
detects information that the blind user should know, just as a sighted user
would easily find highlighted items or key areas of the screen at a glance.
Supported applications and functions include:
    -- Speed dial, call lists and contacts
    -- Text messaging
    -- Calendar, tasks, notes and calculator
    -- Internet browser
    -- Word, Excel and PowerPoint
    -- Voice Recorder, Media Player, voice speed dial and voice command
    -- Phone/device settings, profiles, alarms and ringtones
    Mobile Magnifier is a flexible, full-screen magnification application
that supports low- and high-resolution screens and can be used with or
without speech feedback. Magnification software is compatible with a wide
range of mobile devices. Unique features include:
    -- Magnification levels from 1.25x to 16x
    -- Font-smoothing for easier readability
    -- Three different layouts: a full-screen, split and distributed view
    -- Different color schemes, including inverted color
    -- Automatic panning and cursor-tracking
    -- Automatic zoom function that detects areas of interest on the screen
    "We have found that individuals who have vision loss want to be able to
choose from a range of wireless handsets," said Paul Schroeder, vice
president of Programs and Policy, American Foundation for the Blind. "Just
like people who can see, customers with disabilities want options. We
applaud ATT for its leadership in investing the effort to understand and
address the needs of individuals with vision loss."
    Mobile Speak and Mobile Magnifier for Windows Mobile and Symbian Series
60 operating system devices will be available from ATT in the fall of 2007.
For more information about wireless product or service offerings for those
with disabilities, visit
http://www.wireless.att.com/about/disability-resources.jsp
.