[il-talk] FW: Big Change in the Cell Phone Business Could Help People with Vision Loss

[David Meyer]

  _____  

From: RESKONIE at aol.com [mailto:RESKONIE at aol.com] 
Sent: Friday, April 01, 2011 10:35 AM
To: datemeyer at sbcglobal.net; chill at wjbr.com; Nightly at NBC.com;
scottedwardp at gmail.com; wgntvinfo at tribune.com
Subject: Big Change in the Cell Phone Business Could Help People with Vision
Loss


  

Big Change in the Cell Phone Business Could Help People with Vision Loss



Posted by Paul Schroeder on 4/1/2011 11:20:32 AM 


 Paul Schroeder <http://www.afb.org/images/experts/PaulSchroederR.jpg> 


By now you've likely heard that AT&T wants to merge with T-Mobile to become
the biggest cell phone provider in the United States. This proposed merger
must get approval from a couple of government agencies before it is final,
and there will be lots of arguments for and against the marriage of these
two big carriers.

But there is one thing that definitely is important for cell phone customers
who are blind or visually impaired. AT&T has been a leader in providing
consumers with vision loss with comprehensive access to a range of mobile
phone handsets, especially smart phones. It led the way in subsidizing and
supporting specialized software for people with vision loss that provides
access to a comprehensive set of features on a mobile phone, and of course,
through its partnership with Apple, AT&T helped to bring to market the
iPhone, the first fully accessible smart phone with built in accessibility
(made available on all phones at no additional cost). And, AT&T is now
working to improve the accessibility of handsets running the popular Android
operating system. 

To date, T-Mobile has not provided its consumers with vision loss with
support for specialized software or with a fully accessible cell phone.

These are the facts that AFB has long made clear to anyone who is
interested. So we hope that if this merger with T-Mobile comes to fruition,
consumers with vision loss who had been subscribing to T-Mobile will benefit
from access to AT&T's accessibility services.

There is one other interesting possible and beneficial outcome from this
merger. A combination of AT&T and T-Mobile networks could lead to enhanced
access to wireless broadband. For those of us with vision loss who are able
to obtain mobile broadband, the benefits in immediate access to
comprehensive information and services is truly remarkable.


 
Sincerely,
Ronald Skonie <http://www.facebook.com/reskonie> 


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