WASHINGTON-Audiovox Corp. and Dr. Bonnie O’Day have reached a settlement and are asking the Federal Communications Commission to dismiss a complaint filed by Dr. O’Day last February.
“I filed this complaint because blind and low-vision people were frustrated with the pace of progress achieved by the wireless industry. Audiovox’s commitment in this settlement, however, makes them a leader in providing wireless access to blind and visually impaired consumers,” said O’Day.
“It is important to improve wireless access for the 10 million Americans who have visual impairments,” said Audiovox President Philip Christopher.
While Audiovox did not admit wrongdoing in the settlement, it did announce that its new 9900 series phones to be released this month will have a “a more accessible keypad and audible announcement of certain visually displayed information, such as dialed and incoming phone numbers, battery power and roaming status.”
O’Day claimed in a Feb. 21 complaint she could not use her Audiovox phone because many features, such as caller ID and one-touch dialing, were delivered through visual display. What she said she needed, as a person who cannot read a small-phone screen, were more audio prompts. She said she purchased the Audiovox CDM-9500 as “the best of the worst.”
Initially, O’Day filed an informal complaint against both Audiovox and Verizon Wireless at the FCC in June 2001 after purchasing her phone at Verizon Wireless in December 2000. She said she called Audiovox and Verizon Wireless in hopes they could help her solve the accessibility problem. Instead, she claims, the two wireless firms blamed each other. Verizon Wireless, the No. 1 mobile-phone carrier in the nation, argued it is not liable because it is not a manufacturer. As such, the wireless carrier said it is not covered by disability access requirements found in Section 255 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996.
The FCC has broken up the O’Day complaint into separate proceedings against Verizon Wireless and Audiovox.
“Verizon Wireless and Dr. O’Day are continuing to discuss ways to resolve the complaint,” said Jeffrey Nelson, Verizon Wireless spokesman.
In a separate move, Alva BV, a provider of assistive information technology for the blind and visually impaired, said last week it is now shipping the ALVA MPO 5500h, the first fully integrated cellular phone and personal organizer with features for the blind and visually impaired.
“The MPO puts resources-people, data and documents-at the user’s fingertips in one small durable device that can be carried in a pocket, book bag or briefcase and accessed using Braille or speech. Standard cellular phones and PDAs have almost no accessibility features, short of a few voice-activated commands. Services are increasingly visually oriented, requiring the user to navigate through detailed layered menus and select options displayed on tiny screens,” said Alva.
Upcoming MPO features will include e-mail synchronization with Outlook, added Braille terminal functionality, an Internet browser, global positioning system location capability, Daisy reader and an MP3 player.
“The MPO gives Alva a chance to apply our Braille display and access expertise to a growing wireless market,” said Alva President Eric Weldink. “This is a case of technology really addressing a changing market. Our customers are very mobile, moving between home, workplace and school-independent people who participate in their community but are hampered by the limitations of traditional mobile technology.”
The Alva MPO 5500 is available through all authorized MPO resellers in the United States. The manufacturer’s suggested retail price is $4,295.
