With respect, the corporate mucketies *are* using their heads for more
than hatracks. There are far more people who would use a digital camera
than there are people who want more blind-friendly accessibility
features. In the consumer electronics business as in everything else,
numbers talk!

Mike Freeman

On Thu, 1 Apr 2004, Harvey Heagy wrote:

> A while back there was an article circulated about Bonnie O'day's
> complaint with the F.C.C. concerning cell phones not being
> accessible and the new model of cell phone that was making strides
> towards this end namely the Audiovox V.M. 4050.  Well, I was in my
> local sprint P.C.S. store yesterday and had occasion to briefly
> look at this phone.  It does have some nice accessibility features
> like the synthesized voice speaking incoming and outgoing numbers,
> the menu positions being spoken and a cue for when the battery is
> low.  But the price for this phone is $329.00 and that is largely
> because it has a digital camera built in.  Mind you it's not an
> option like on some models, it is built into it.  You don't have a
> choice but to take it.  I understand that some blind people do like
> to have a digital camera, but I would think if they were going to
> build an accessible cell phone for us it would have been far better
> to do it by including more accessible features than a digital
> camera most blind people won't even use or care about.  They could
> have at least offered that as an option thereby keeping the price
> down or made it more worth our money by including more audible cues
> rather than a digital camera.  I think some corporate big whigs use
> their heads for hat racks instead of to think with.  For those who
> might be interested in this phone, it also has another model number
> the V.M. 9950.  The sales rep told me that even though there are 2
> model numbers they are both for the same phone.  I don't know why.
> 73.
> Harvey Heagy (N.5.H.A.U.)
>