[nfbwatlk] Questions about lifeline service

[Philip Blackmer]

Hello everyone This is Philip Blackmer.  For those who don't know me I am
usually a silent lurker on the list.  I have a few questions about what
everyone may know about lifeline cell phone service.  This has nothing to do
with medical alert pendants.  My understanding is that they do not allow the
use of smart phones and none of the cell phone providers have any truly
accessible feature or media phones.  I wanted to know if there is anything
that I may have missed, but it seems that by not allowing us to simply pay
the extra cost of smart phones this is unintentionally discriminating.  

 

For more information about the program you can visit this website.

http://www.lifeline.gov/lifeline_Consumers.html

 

When on a lifeline plan the service is very cheap but you don't have as many
talk minutes so in one case the plan is free and the most expensive I've
found so far is $20.  For example: AT&T costs about $16.50 a month according
to their lifeline services representative.  You get 300 anytime minutes and
1,000 nights and weekends.  The problem is that none of their available
phones can use a screen-reader.  Do we need to file a complaint?  This seems
more than just wrong, but possibly an unintentional violation of the law.
Feedback would be greatly appreciated.

 

P.S.

Mike Freeman, and Noel please email me off list.