Telephone users with disabilities

Telephones - What features do disabled people need?

Image of woman using telephone keyboard.

No useful hearing (in the context of telephone usage) necessitates the use of visual modalities, eg. text Telephony. Fax and Email: are not satisfactory alternatives as they do not allow for real-time conversations. By making use of relay facilities, textphone connections can be made with any voice subscriber.

Essential Features
Visual ringing signal	Text display - visual.
Dial-out buffer memory.	Text send protocol select.
Key feedback - tactile.	Visual line status display.
Key feedback - displayed.	Coupling to computer.
Text send - keyboard .	Non-slip base.
Desirable Features
Additional earphone.	Plug-in display
Plug-in keyboard	VDU text adjustable

Disability category links
Hearing impairment - moderate.	Speech impairment - severe.
Hearing impairment - severe.	Limited dexterity.
Deafness.	Limited use of hands/arms.
Visual impairment - moderate.	Weak grip.
Visual impairment - severe.	Hand tremor.
Blindness.	Cognitive impairment.
Deaf-blindness.	Restricted mobility (lower limb).
Speech impairment - moderate.

How disabilities affect telephone use

Users with disabilities - the numbers

User categories and definitions

Telephone Features

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Published by Royal National Institute of the Blind on behalf of PhoneAbility
supported by Department of Trade and Industry and British telecommunications plc