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>>Dial Me In: The Latest on Off-the-Shelf Cell Phone Accessibility
>>
>>From: AFB Accessworld, American Foundation for the Blind, USA
>>
>>By: Darren Burton
>>
>>NB: Visit the latest publication of AFB Accessworld at
>>
>>http://www.afb.org/aw
>>
>>Our product evaluation lab at AFB TECH in Huntington, West Virginia, was
>>back at it again this summer, investigating the latest in cell phone
>>accessibility.
>>Readers who have followed our cell phone articles in AccessWorld will know
>>that we have defined two categories of cell phones: off-the-shelf cell
>>phones
>>that are designed with a degree of built-in speech-output capability and
>>cell phones with the Symbian operating system that is compatible with
>>third-party
>>screen-reading and screen-magnification software programs. This article
>>looks at the state of affairs in the off-the-shelf category. You can look
>>forward
>>to a future article evaluating Symbian phones with the latest versions of
>>the Mobile Speak and TALKS screen readers, as well as the Mobile Magnifier
>>and
>>ZOOMS screen-magnifier products.
>>
>>In this article, I examine eight off-the-shelf telephones that are
>>produced by four manufacturers and are available from seven national
>>service providers.
>>Here is a list of the cell phones, followed by a detailed description of
>>each one.
>>
>>LG VX 4650, available from Verizon Wireless
>>
>>LG AX 4750, available from Alltel
>>
>>LG UX 4750, available from US Cellular
>>
>>Motorola i355, available from Nextel Wireless
>>
>>Motorola i580, available from Nextel Wireless
>>
>>Owasys 22C, from Capital Accessibility, LLC
>>
>>Samsung SGH D-357, available from Cingular Wireless
>>
>>Samsung SGH A-920, available from Sprint PCS
>>
>>LG Electronics VX 4650, AX 4750, and UX 4750
>>
>>We at AFB TECH chose to evaluate three cell phones manufactured by LG
>>Electronics--the VX 4650, AX 4750, and UX 4750--because they have the same
>>Voice Command
>>features as the LG VX 4500 that we evaluated in the May 2005 issue of
>>AccessWorld. The Voice Command feature combines voice input and output to
>>provide
>>access to much of the phones' screen information and menu systems.
>>Although much of the information provided here about these three
>>telephones and the
>>Voice Command feature is the same as that provided in the May 2005 issue,
>>we include it here to compare them to the other phones that are evaluated
>>in
>>this article. These three phones are nearly identical to one another. They
>>are simply carried by different service providers, with the letters in
>>their
>>names providing a clue to their respective carriers. The VX 4650 is
>>carried by Verizon Wireless, the AX 4750 is carried by Alltel, and the UX
>>4750 is carried
>>by US Cellular.
>>
>>They are all small clamshell-style cell phones, weighing 3.7 ounces and
>>measuring 1.9 by 0.9 by 3.5 inches when folded up. On the inside, there is
>>a 1.1-by-1.5-inch
>>high-resolution display screen with 6,500 colors that can be viewed when
>>the phone is flipped open. There is a smaller 0.9-by-0.5-inch monochrome
>>display
>>on the outside that can be viewed when the phone is flipped closed. These
>>phones feature a keypad with the 12 dialing keys arranged in the standard
>>3-by-4
>>grid. Above the 12 keys are 6 more keys in two rows of 3 each. On the
>>outside of the top row are 2 "soft" keys, whose function depends on the
>>icon adjacent
>>to them on the display screen. Between these keys is a circular, four-way
>>Navigation key surrounding an OK button. Below that row are the Send,
>>Cancel,
>>and End keys. On the left side panel, there are 2 control keys. On the top
>>is an up/down rocker-style button that is used to control the volume.
>>Below
>>that button is the Voice button, which is used to activate the voice input
>>and output functionality.
>>
>>Caption: The three LG phones are nearly identical clamshell-style phones.
>>Left, the Alltel LG AX 4750; center, the US Cellular LG UX 4750; and
>>right, the
>>Verizon Wireless LG VX 4650.
>>
>>These phones are considered midrange phones by today's standards, without
>>some advanced features, such as a digital video camera or multimedia
>>messaging.
>>They do, however, feature a web browser, speaker phone, text messaging,
>>and a Contacts application. The VX 4650 from Verizon also has a
>>Push-to-Talk feature
>>that is used to connect instantly to other Verizon customers.
>>
>>The LG Voice Command Feature
>>
>>LG's Voice Command allows you to use your voice to control many, but not
>>all, aspects of the phone. It is speaker independent, meaning that it
>>recognizes
>>any voice, so you do not have to train it to understand your voice. The
>>speech-recognition quality is robust, even in some noisy situations. To
>>access
>>LG's Voice Command function, you press the Voice button on the bottom of
>>the left side panel, and a recorded human voice responds, "Please say a
>>command."
>>You then respond with 1 of the 10 commands that the phone recognizes. For
>>example, you could say, "Voicemail," and the phone will respond, "You have
>>one
>>new voicemail message; call voicemail now?" You then respond, "yes" or
>>"no." Here is the list of the voice commands that are available, along
>>with a short
>>description of what they do:
>>
>>Call someone. The phone responds, "Please say a name," and you speak the
>>name of a person you have entered into your Contacts application.
>>
>>Digit dial. The phone prompts you to speak a phone number into the phone
>>and then dials it.
>>
>>Service alerts. The phone tells you how many missed calls, new voicemails,
>>and new text messages you have.
>>
>>Missed calls. The phone tells you how many new missed calls you have. You
>>can then scroll through the list and hear the phone read you the time,
>>date, and
>>number of each missed call.
>>
>>Contacts. The phone asks if you would like to read, create, or erase a
>>contact. After you respond, it follows with more prompts to guide you in
>>completing
>>each task.
>>
>>Announce. This command toggles Announce Mode on and off. With it on, you
>>are prompted for a command by simply flipping the phone open, and it
>>activates
>>the speaking of caller ID information and some menu items.
>>
>>Driving. This command toggles the hands-free mode on and off. With it on,
>>the speaker phone is on, and as with Announce Mode, you are prompted for a
>>command
>>by flipping the phone open.
>>
>>Time and date. The phone announces the current time and date.
>>
>>Phone status. The phone announces the battery strength and signal strength
>>and indicates if you are roaming and if your global positioning system
>>(GPS)
>>location feature is active.
>>
>>Voicemail. The phone tells you how many voicemail messages you have and
>>asks if you want to call voicemail.
>>
>>If you forget any of the voice commands that are available, or if you
>>simply do not want to talk to your phone, you can press the Voice button,
>>and a recorded
>>human voice will speak the name of each command as you scroll through the
>>list using the Up and Down arrows of the five-way Navigation key. You then
>>just
>>press the OK button when you land on the item that you want to activate.
>>
>>Motorola i355 and i580
>>
>>We chose to evaluate these two Motorola phones, which are available from
>>Nextel Wireless, because Motorola has developed its iDEN Text-to-Speech
>>(TTS) Software,
>>which provides access to some of the screen information on these two
>>phones. Users must download the i355's TTS software from the Motorola web
>>site and
>>install it on the phone, but the software is already built into the i580,
>>which is a newer phone. We are happy to see Motorola begin to provide some
>>accessibility
>>for its customers who are blind or have low vision. We found little
>>accessibility when evaluating the Motorola T720 in the July 2003 issue of
>>AccessWorld,
>>and we really took Motorola and Apple to task in our January 2006
>>evaluation of their inaccessible ROKR phone and iTunes software.
>>
>>The i355 is a large block- or candy-bar-style phone weighing 7 ounces and
>>measuring 5.1 by 2.4 by 1.4 inches. It has a 1.25-inch-by-1.25-inch color
>>screen
>>and hemispherical control buttons with the dialing keys arranged in the
>>familiar 3-by-4 grid. Above these keys are the other keys that have become
>>familiar
>>on cell phones, including soft keys on the top left and right corners, the
>>Send and End keys, a group of 5-way Navigation buttons, and the Menu,
>>Cancel,
>>and End keys. The left side panel features a rocker switch for controlling
>>volume on the top and a button that is used for the walkie-talkie feature
>>on
>>the bottom.
>>
>>Caption: The Nextel Motorola i355 is a large candy-bar-style cell phone.
>>
>>The i580 is a smaller clamshell-style phone weighing 5.1 ounces and
>>measuring 3.8 by 2.2 by 1.1 inches when closed. It has a 1.5-by-1.25-inch
>>color display
>>screen when closed, and a 1-inch-by-0.5-inch monochrome screen on the
>>outside. It has the same general button arrangement as the i355, but the
>>keys are
>>flat instead of hemispherical. It also has two buttons on the top outside
>>panel for accessing the walkie-talkie feature and for hearing phone-status
>>information
>>when it is flipped closed.
>>
>>Caption: The Nextel Motorola i580 is a small clamshell-style phone.
>>
>>The main marketing feature of these phones is their ruggedness. They
>>adhere to military standards for dust, shock, vibration, and extreme
>>temperatures and
>>are rainproof. One of our AFB TECH lab technicians referred to them as the
>>"sports utility phones" and said they would be good phones for a
>>construction
>>site. The marketing literature also promotes the web and e-mail features,
>>as well as the GPS and the walkie-talkie feature, which allows users to
>>connect
>>instantly to other Nextel customers who have been entered into the phone's
>>Contacts application.
>>
>>The Motorola iDEN TTS Software
>>
>>The Motorola TTS software provides access to fewer features than does the
>>LG Voice Command feature. With the iDEN TTS feature, you can hear the
>>following
>>as you use your phone:
>>
>>the number keys you have pressed
>>
>>the names, phone numbers, and types of contacts as you scroll through
>>Contacts
>>
>>the status information on the home screen, including the time and date, if
>>you have voicemail, the battery level, and the signal strength
>>
>>the word "home" when you return to the main screen
>>
>>a prompt indicating that you have started or ended a call
>>
>>the names, phone numbers, and types of contacts as you scroll through
>>recent calls
>>
>>the menu options as you scroll through the main menu only
>>
>>notices, such as "low battery" and "keypad locked"
>>
>>pop-ups, such as "new voicemail" and new text message"
>>
>>The speech also supports adjusting the voice-playback settings of the TTS
>>software to control and adjust how it provides voice feedback. You can
>>turn the
>>voice on or off, as well as the speaking of caller ID information. You can
>>also set the speaker and earpiece volume and choose between male and
>>female
>>voices. The i355 has four voices, two female and two male, but the i580
>>has only two voices, one male and one female. The i355 also has a
>>convenient way
>>to access these settings by simply pressing the OK button in the middle of
>>the five-way Navigation control, but you have to go through the menus to
>>reach
>>these settings on the i580. You have to go to the menu and choose
>>settings, but that is where the speech output stops briefly. You have to
>>then scroll
>>down five times and press OK to activate the voice-playback settings,
>>where the speech support returns.
>>
>>Software Snafu
>>
>>Before I move on to the other phones and the Results section, the Motorola
>>situation needs a bit more explanation. When we purchased the i355 in May
>>2006,
>>Motorola had actually released a second version of the i355, which we
>>discovered was not compatible with its iDEN TTS software. After many phone
>>calls
>>and web searches investigating the matter, we finally found the right
>>person to explain the situation. We reached Motorola's product manager for
>>the iDEN
>>phones, and she told us that Motorola is working to fix the problem. She
>>sent us a properly working i355 to evaluate, as well as the new i580. The
>>bottom
>>line is that the i580 is available and in stores now, but the i355
>>software is not currently working. Readers who are interested in the i355
>>should call
>>the phone numbers for Motorola and Nextel listed in the Product
>>Information section of this article to learn when the problem will be
>>fixed.
>>
>>Owasys 22C
>>
>>We originally evaluated this cell phone in the July 2004 issue of
>>AccessWorld. We chose to include it in this article as well because its
>>U.S. marketing
>>partner, Capital Accessibility, now has an agreement with T-Mobile to
>>provide service for the Owasys 22C in the United States and Canada and
>>because it
>>has also undergone some improvements since our last evaluation.
>>
>>Manufactured by the Spanish company Owasys (pronounced "oasis"), the 22C
>>is a "screenless" cell phone that is designed specifically for people who
>>are blind
>>or have low vision. The Owasys 22C is a "brick-" or "candy-bar-"style cell
>>phone measuring 4.6 by 1.9 by 1.1 inches and weighing 4.5 ounces. On the
>>front
>>panel, there are 6 control buttons laid out in 2 rows of 3 each. Below
>>these control buttons are the 12 dialing keys, arranged in the standard
>>3-by-4 grid,
>>and the side panel has an Up key and a Down key that are used to adjust
>>the volume. Although this telephone does not feature many of the extras
>>that are
>>found on today's cell phones, such as a camera, web access, or a video
>>recorder, it comes equipped with speech-synthesis software from Babel
>>Technologies
>>to guide you through all the features that it does have, including a
>>searchable phone book, SMS text messaging, and a vibrating ring feature.
>>The software
>>runs on the Linux operating platform, and the phone uses the GSM cellular
>>network, which is the network used by T-Mobile, Cingular, and other
>>smaller local
>>carriers.
>>
>>Caption: The Owasys 22C is designed specifically for people who are blind
>>or have low vision.
>>
>>The agreement between Capital Accessibility and T-Mobile is for a limited
>>time only, and under this agreement, customers can purchase the phone for
>>$199.95
>>with a two-year plan or $249.95 with a one-year plan. If you want to go
>>with a different GSM provider, such as Cingular, you can purchase the
>>phone for
>>$499.95 and put the SIM card from your provider into your Owasys phone.
>>
>>Samsung SGH D-357 and SGH A-920
>>
>>We chose to evaluate the Samsung SGH D-357, carried by Cingular, and the
>>Samsung A-920 (now called the MM-A920), carried by Sprint PCS, because we
>>heard
>>that Samsung had included a software program, called VSuite, that features
>>voice input and output to provide access to some of the telephones' screen
>>information
>>and menu systems.
>>
>>The Samsung D-357 is a small clamshell-style phone weighing 3.5 ounces and
>>measuring 3.4 by 1.8 by 1 inches when closed. Its inside screen is a
>>1.5-by-1.25-inch
>>color display, and the outside screen is a 0.75-by-0.6-inch monochrome
>>screen. Its dialing keys are arranged in the familiar 3-by-4 grid with the
>>outside
>>columns curving up slightly. Above these keys are the same standard cell
>>phone controls that the Motorola phones have. The left side panel has the
>>Volume
>>rocker switch, and on the bottom of the right side panel is a Push-to-Talk
>>key for access to a feature similar to the Motorola's walkie-talkie
>>feature.
>>On the right side panel is a key that is used to activate the voice input
>>and output functionality.
>>
>>Caption: The Samsung SGH D-357 is a small clamshell-style phone.
>>
>>The A-920 is a larger clamshell-style phone weighing 4.6 ounces and
>>measuring 3.6 by 1.9 by 1 inches when closed. The inside screen is a
>>1.5-by-1.25-inch
>>color display, and the outside screen is a 1-inch-by-1-inch monochrome
>>display. The keys are all similar to those on the D-357, except that the
>>right side
>>panel has just one button, used to operate the camera. Also, the key that
>>is used to activate the voice input and output is on the main panel, just
>>to
>>the left of the End key. One other difference is that the controls for the
>>MP3 player on the A-920 are on the outside of the phone, but no voice
>>output
>>supports using these keys.
>>
>>Caption: The Samsung A-920 is a larger clamshell-style phone.
>>
>>The D-357 is a midrange phone by today's standards. It does not have a
>>still camera or a video camera, but it does have web browsing, instant
>>messaging,
>>text, and multimedia messaging capabilities. A higher-end phone, the
>>A-920, is being touted for its multimedia capabilities. It has a built-in
>>MP3 player,
>>and it can play streaming music, video, and sports news. It also has a
>>still camera and video camera, web browsing, instant messaging, and text
>>and multimedia
>>messaging. The voice input and output functions of these two phones,
>>however, do not provide access to any of these features. In fact, these
>>phones provide
>>the least amount of access of all the phones that are evaluated in this
>>article.
>>
>>The following commands are available on the D-357:
>>
>>Call a name or number. You say, "Call," followed by a phone number or name
>>of a person in your contacts list. The voice then responds with the
>>confirming
>>question, "Did you say . . . ?" followed by the person's name. If you say
>>yes, the call is placed. However, adding names to your contacts is a
>>completely
>>visual process.
>>
>>Text messaging. You say, "Send text to," followed by a phone number or a
>>name in your contacts list. The voice again asks the confirming question,
>>but the
>>rest of the process of composing and sending the message is not supported
>>by voice output.
>>
>>Look up. You say, "Look up," followed by a name in your contacts list. The
>>voice again responds with the confirming question, but then displays the
>>contact
>>information visually on the screen with no voice support.
>>
>>Go to. This is just a voice shortcut to access phone applications. For
>>example, you can say, "Go to messaging," and it will open your messaging
>>application.
>>However, there is no voice support for any of the phone's applications
>>that you may want to access.
>>
>>The A-920 has these commands and one additional command, which is one that
>>is actually useful to a person who is blind or has low vision:
>>
>>Check. You say, "Check status," and the voice responds with the battery
>>level, signal strength, the network you are connected to, and your phone
>>number.
>>
>>
>>Other than the Check command, the voice input and output features of these
>>Samsung phones are of little or no use to a person who is blind. The
>>features
>>were designed as simple conveniences for sighted users, not with people
>>who are blind or have low vision in mind. Therefore, we do not include
>>information
>>on these phones in our usual "Sweet 16" analysis. We would never recommend
>>these phones to our readers, so we will not waste any more of your
>>valuable
>>reading time discussing them. We simply included them up to this point to
>>squash rumors that we were hearing in the blindness community that these
>>phones
>>are accessible.
>>
>>The Sweet 16
>>
>>As we reported in our previous cell phone evaluations, before we began our
>>reviews, we surveyed 40 cell phone users who are blind or have low vision
>>to
>>determine which features they would most like to have made accessible. The
>>16 features that the respondents rated the highest became the now-famous
>>basis
>>of our evaluation, known as the Sweet 16. We looked at whether users would
>>be able to access these features and noted the barriers to accessing them.
>>The
>>evaluation methods we used included these:
>>
>>measuring the ability to identify and use the keypad tactilely
>>
>>determining the ability to navigate menus
>>
>>noting auditory and vibratory feedback
>>
>>assessing the readability of the visual display
>>
>>The following analysis lists the 16 cell phone features that our survey
>>determined to be the most important for accessibility and how these phones
>>measured
>>up on each feature.
>>
>>Keys Easily Identifiable by Touch
>>
>>The Owasys 22C has the best keypad design among the phones in this
>>article. In fact, it has the most tactilely accessible keypad design of
>>any phone we
>>have ever evaluated at AFB TECH. The hemispherical-shaped keys protrude
>>from the panel and are spaced sufficiently apart from each other so that
>>it is
>>easy to distinguish one key from another, and there is a properly designed
>>nib on the 5 key. Our original evaluation of this phone found that because
>>the
>>Pound (#) key is also the Power key, it was easy to turn it on
>>inadvertently if it was jostled in a pocket or purse. The manufacturer has
>>since greatly
>>decreased this possibility by requiring that the key be pressed and held
>>longer to turn the phone on.
>>
>>The Motorola i355 phone's keys are nearly as tactilely friendly as the
>>Owasys'. The hemispheric-shaped keys are also widely spaced with a proper
>>nib on
>>the 5 key, but the control buttons above the dialing grid are closer
>>together and require a little more practice to get used to.
>>
>>The Motorola i580's keys are a bit less tactilely identifiable, but would
>>be easy to get used to. There is a good nib on the 5 key, but the keys are
>>flat,
>>with little tactile differentiation when moving horizontally. However, our
>>testers found the five-way control to be the easiest to use of all the
>>ones
>>we have ever tested. Its wide arrow keys make it easy to use.
>>
>>The LG phones' keypads bring up the rear in this group, but they are still
>>relatively easy to learn and use. You can also set the phones to announce
>>the
>>digits as you dial them. The Verizon and US Cellular versions have good
>>nibs on the 5 key, as well as the Send and End keys, but for some reason,
>>the Alltel
>>version has no nib on the 5 key and barely noticeable nibs on the Send and
>>End keys.
>>
>>Voice Output
>>
>>All these phones have voice output, but the Owasys voice provides access
>>to the greatest number of features. In fact, it provides access to every
>>feature
>>on the phone because it is designed specifically for people who are blind
>>or have low vision. The LG's voice provides the next-highest level of
>>access,
>>but considerably less than the Owasys'. We rank it higher than the
>>Motorola because it provides a higher level of access to the phone's
>>features. For privacy
>>purposes, you can also accessibly set the Owasys and LG phones to speak
>>only from the earpiece on the phone, but you have to have an external
>>earpiece
>>connected to turn off the speaker on the Motorola phones. The frustrating
>>thing about both the LG and Motorola phones is that they take you to the
>>brink
>>of full access, but then pull you back. They provide speech output for
>>reading the items on the main menu, but then the speech stops. Other than
>>for contacts
>>and some call-log information, none of the items that you can choose from
>>the menu is supported by speech. It is much like a system that would guide
>>you
>>perfectly through your neighborhood to a bus stop, but then would refuse
>>to allow you to board the bus.
>>
>>The voice quality is best on the LG because most of it is produced by
>>digitally recorded human voice, but contact names are read with a
>>poor-quality synthetic
>>voice. Although the synthetic voices on the Motorola phones are not as
>>high a quality as the voice on your favorite screen reader, they are
>>better than
>>the LG's synthetic voice, and all the voices are fine once you get used to
>>them.
>>
>>Accessible Documentation
>>
>>The manual for the Owasys is available from the manufacturer via e-mail in
>>accessible plain text and HTML (hypertext markup language) formats.
>>Although
>>it is the most accessible manual in this group and is sufficient to get
>>you started using and learning about the phone, it does have minor
>>drawbacks. It
>>is a limited manual; it describes some features, such as the phone book,
>>too briefly, and it does not describe the nonvoice feedback that the phone
>>produces,
>>such as low battery and message-indication tones. Captial Accessibility is
>>extending the documentation through the FAQ section of the web site. An
>>"Audio
>>Tour" is available both on the web site and by phone by calling
>>202-595-7777. Motorola does have a fully accessible manual in PDF
>>(portable document format)
>>on its web page for the text-to-speech functionality on the i355, but none
>>is yet available for the i580. The full manuals for both Motorola phones
>>in
>>PDF format are also available, and although there is certainly room for
>>improvement, the manuals are surprisingly accessible, with few of the
>>common PDF
>>access problems. The LG manuals have more of the familiar unlabeled
>>graphics and other common PDF accessibility problems, but much of the text
>>is accessible
>>using a screen reader. However, the manual has no section covering the
>>Voice Command functionality.
>>
>>Battery Level Indicator
>>
>>All these phones provide speech output for accessing your battery level,
>>as well as a periodic tone indicating a critically low battery. The
>>Motorola phones
>>also say "low battery" in addition to their tone indication.
>>
>>Roaming Indicator
>>
>>All these phones are served by national service providers, so you should
>>never be roaming and thus paying a higher price for your call. However, if
>>you
>>do by chance have a plan with roaming costs, the Owasys will speak the
>>name of the carrier to which you are currently connected, so you will know
>>if you
>>are roaming. The LG phones also warn you if you are roaming and prompt you
>>to press the 1 key to continue and accept the extra charges if you make or
>>receive
>>a call while roaming. The Motorola phones have no such feature.
>>
>>Message Indicator
>>
>>The Owasys again takes the lead in this category because you can access
>>the status information for the voice to tell you if you have any voicemail
>>or text
>>messages. The voice also supports the process of writing and reading text
>>messages, but with limitations. You have to read the entire message at
>>once,
>>so you cannot read word by word. Also, if you notice a mistake in a
>>message you are writing on the Owasys, you have to delete the message all
>>the way back
>>to the mistake to edit it.
>>
>>On the LG phones, the Voicemail command causes the voice to tell you if
>>you have any voicemail messages, and the Service Alerts command alerts you
>>to voicemail,
>>missed calls, and text messages. However, the text-messaging function is
>>inaccessible because it does not feature speech output. The Motorola tells
>>you
>>if you have new voicemail, and how many messages, but it provides no
>>access to text messages.
>>
>>Phone Book
>>
>>Again, the Owasys has the most accessible phone book, or contacts,
>>application that you can use to add, delete, and search contacts and to
>>make phone calls.
>>The manufacturer has also eliminated a limitation that we discovered in
>>our original evaluation: You can now add phone numbers from your missed
>>and received
>>calls directly to your contacts list. The LG phones come in second here,
>>since they provide full access to creating, writing, editing, erasing, and
>>calling
>>contacts. With the Motorola phones, you can scroll through your list of
>>contacts, and the voice will read you the name, phone number, and type of
>>contact
>>for each entry, but the voice does not support creating or editing
>>contacts, which is a major shortcoming in these phones' accessibility.
>>
>>Phone Lock Mode
>>
>>The Owasys again comes out on top in this category, in that its voice
>>supports the process of locking the phone with password protection to
>>prevent unauthorized
>>use. To lock the LG phones to prevent unauthorized use, you press the
>>Pound key for three seconds. You unlock it by pressing the right soft key,
>>followed
>>by your four-digit password, which is the last four digits of your phone
>>number. The phone emits a beep to indicate that the phone is locked, but
>>there
>>is no speech output to support this process. Also, there is no speech
>>support if you want to change your password. The phone-lock process is
>>inaccessible
>>on the Motorola phones because the speech output does not support the
>>process.
>>
>>Keypad Lock
>>
>>To prevent the keys from being activated while in a pocket or purse, you
>>can lock the keys on the Motorola and Owasys phones, and the speech output
>>supports
>>the process on each phone. On the Owasys, you press and hold the Star (*)
>>key for three seconds, and the voice says, "Keypad locked." You repeat the
>>process
>>to unlock the phone. On the Motorola phones, you press the Menu key,
>>followed by the Star key, and the voice confirms that the keys have been
>>locked. If
>>you later try to use the phone and you press a key, the voice reminds you
>>to press the Menu key, followed by the Star key, to unlock the keypad.
>>Even the
>>i580, which is a clamshell-style phone with most of its keys protected,
>>has this accessible feature because the key to activate the instantly
>>connected
>>walkie-talkie feature is on the outside of the phone. There is no Keypad
>>Lock feature on the LG phones because they are also clamshell-style
>>phones, and
>>no dialing keys are exposed.
>>
>>Power Indicator
>>
>>Visually, power is indicated on the Owasys by a red light in the middle of
>>the Navigation key, and it is indicated on the Motorola and LG phones
>>simply
>>by the display screen being on. Nonvisually, you can simply press a key
>>and listen for tone feedback or speech output, and you will know that
>>either of
>>these phones is on.
>>
>>Ringing or Vibrating Mode Indicator
>>
>>All these phones have an accessible way to change between the ringing and
>>vibrate modes. On the Owasys, it is done via the menu system, and the
>>speech output
>>supports the entire process. The LG phones have a feature called Manner
>>mode for use in public places, which silences all key tones and sets the
>>phone
>>to vibrate mode. You set Manner mode by pressing and holding the Star key
>>for three seconds. The phone will briefly vibrate, and a Vibrate icon
>>appears
>>on the display. To get out of Manner mode, you press the Star key for
>>three seconds; a beep sounds, and the Vibrate icon disappears. On the
>>Motorola phones,
>>the rocker button on the left side panel is used to adjust the volume, and
>>if you turn it all the way down past the last volume setting, the phone
>>will
>>be in vibrate mode, and it vibrates to indicate that is so. To return to
>>ringing mode, you simply use the up side of the Volume button, and the
>>phone will
>>beep to indicate that it is now in ringing mode, and you can then adjust
>>the volume as you like.
>>
>>GPS Feature
>>
>>Many of today's cell phones have a GPS feature using global positioning
>>satellites to help emergency services locate you if you make a 911 call,
>>but your
>>local emergency system must be equipped to use the satellite systems. The
>>Owasys phone does not have this GPS feature; the LG and Motorola phones
>>do. In
>>addition, the Motorola phones that use the Nextel network are able to
>>access driving directions and other advanced GPS capabilities. However,
>>the speech
>>output does not support these features.
>>
>>Signal Strength Indicator
>>
>>The speech output on all these phones tells you your signal strength, so
>>you will know whether or not you are able to make or receive a call. Also,
>>in another
>>move to improve its phone since we last evaluated it, the manufacturer of
>>the Owasys phone has quieted the once painfully loud tone indicating that
>>you
>>have moved in or out of range of a signal.
>>
>>Ringer Volume Control
>>
>>The Owasys gives you the ability to adjust the ringer volume by navigating
>>through the accessible menu system to the Ringer Volume setting and
>>choosing
>>the desired volume level. This control is also accessible and a bit
>>quicker on the LG and Motorola i355 phones, since you simply adjust the
>>volume with
>>the rocker switch on the left side, and a ring tone indicates the changing
>>volume as you increase or decrease it. There is also a rocker Volume
>>Adjustment
>>switch on the side of the Motorola i580, but there is no tone to indicate
>>the volume level as you adjust it.
>>
>>Caller Identification
>>
>>All these phones speak the number of an incoming caller or the name of the
>>caller if he or she is in your contacts list. For privacy purposes, each
>>phone
>>also has an accessible way to control whether or not that information is
>>spoken through the speaker.
>>
>>Speed Dial
>>
>>On the LG and Motorola phones, there is no speech output to assist you in
>>setting up speed dialing. But, if you get assistance from a sighted user
>>to associate
>>certain contacts with speed-dial numbers, you simply press a number
>>between 2 and 9 to call the contact associated with that number. There is
>>no specific
>>speed-dialing feature on the Owasys phone, but you can easily use the
>>phone book to call a person in your contacts list.
>>
>>Low Vision Accessibility
>>
>>Because there is no screen on the Owasys, there is nothing to say about
>>the accessibility of a visual display. All users, whether they have vision
>>or not,
>>use the same auditory interface to use this telephone. The labels for the
>>keys are large, and their black color contrasts well with the light blue
>>background
>>on the panel. Also, as was stated earlier, the keys are easy to identify
>>by touch if your vision is not sufficient to see them.
>>
>>The LG phones have a high-resolution color display, but most of the text
>>and icons that appear are in font sizes of about 10 point, which is too
>>small for
>>most people with low vision to see clearly. These phones do have a setting
>>to adjust font sizes from normal to large, but the setting only adjusts
>>the
>>size of the digits that appear on screen when you dial a number or enter
>>text into a contact or text message. Glare was not a problem with these
>>phones,
>>and brightness and contrast can be adjusted to improve viewability. The
>>labels on the buttons are too small to accommodate users with low vision,
>>so tactile
>>methods must be used.
>>
>>Although the size of the display information on the Motorola phones can be
>>adjusted, the information is still too small for people with low vision to
>>read.
>>At the highest setting, the text is still only about a 10-point font size.
>>The phones do have a backlight, and the contrast can be adjusted. However,
>>although
>>the contrast adjustment helps, larger display information is still
>>necessary. One positive feature for people with low vision is that as you
>>dial, each
>>digit is briefly displayed on the screen in 72-point font, taking up
>>nearly the entire screen. The buttons on the Motorola phones are backlit
>>and have
>>white labels that contrast well with the buttons, but the labels would
>>require magnification for a person with low vision to read.
>>
>>The Bottom Line
>>
>>We hope this review has given you something to work with when choosing a
>>cell phone. If you want access to all the bells and whistles of today's
>>cell phones,
>>then you will want to use one of the Symbian phones with one of the
>>third-party screen reader and/or screen magnifier products. However, if
>>you just want
>>a simpler phone that provides access to some basic but important screen
>>information, then one of these off-the-shelf phones may be for you.
>>
>>The Owasys 22C provides the most access of any of these phones. However,
>>it is available only on GSM networks. If you cannot reach a GSM network,
>>such as
>>T-Mobile or Cingular, or if you prefer a clamshell-style phone and/or
>>robust speech-input functionality, then the LG phones would provide the
>>most accessibility
>>for you. If easily identifiable tactile keys are the most important to
>>you, and you can live with a slightly lower degree of speech-output
>>functionality,
>>then the Motorola phones should interest you.
>>
>>As was stated earlier, we would never recommend either of the Samsung
>>phones. If you want to use the Sprint PCS network, then we suggest that
>>you purchase
>>the Toshiba VM 4050 phone that we evaluated in the May 2004 issue of
>>AccessWorld. It is still available online, but you will not be able to
>>find it in
>>your local store. You could also search for a phone at your local store
>>without any speech output but with easy-to-use tactile buttons for placing
>>and
>>receiving calls. If Cingular is your network of choice, then we suggest
>>that you call its National Center for Customers with Disabilities at
>>866-241-6568
>>and order the Nokia 6620 Symbian phone with the TALKS software. Cingular
>>still has plenty of these phones left, and it is still offering the rebate
>>of
>>the full cost of the TALKS software.
>>
>>The continuing and rapid evolution of the cell phone market is certainly
>>encouraging, but it also necessitates a warning that the information that
>>is provided
>>herein, especially the information on prices in the Product Information
>>section, may not be entirely up to date by the time it reaches you. It may
>>be helpful
>>to use the contact information provided in the Product Information section
>>of this article, but that can also be a frustrating process because the
>>technicians
>>who answer calls to those phone numbers do not know about the availability
>>or accessibility of their companies' phones. We often get conflicting
>>answers
>>to our questions, and we often have to dig deep to get to the right
>>person. Adding to the confusion, Nextel and Sprint have recently merged,
>>but they seem
>>to be keeping their individual brand names. Also, with the creation of the
>>"new" AT&T, it is possible that the Cingular brand will no longer exist,
>>since
>>Cingular is now owned by AT&T. Patience is still a virtue when you search
>>for an accessible phone.
>>
>>On the Horizon
>>
>>We have not heard a great deal of positive information about new
>>accessible cell phones that will be offered in the off-the-shelf market.
>>LG seems to be
>>including its Voice Command functionality on more and more phones from
>>more and more providers, and Alltel just announced that this functionality
>>will
>>be on its new AX 5000. However, LG has not upgraded the Voice Command
>>functionality in nearly two years. It is encouraging that Motorola has
>>begun to enter
>>the world of cell phone access. Motorola is obviously working to fix the
>>bugs in its current systems, and we hope that it will work to expand the
>>speech
>>output to cover more of its phones' functions. However, we are concerned
>>that the access provided was better on the older i355 than on the newer
>>i580.
>>The Owasys 22C phone has been improved since we previously evaluated it,
>>and the manufacturer has told us that it is working on a new phone that is
>>aimed
>>at users with cognitive disabilities. Stay tuned to AccessWorld for our
>>upcoming evaluations of the latest Symbian phones with the latest versions
>>of the
>>third-party screen-reader and screen-magnifier software products.
>>
>>Note: Pricing may vary, so check with your service provider
>>
>>Product: Motorola i355 and i580.
>>
>>Manufacturer: Motorola: 8000 West Sunrise Boulevard, Plantation, FL 33322;
>>phone: Customer Service: 866-289-6686;
>>
>>web site:
>>
>>www.motorola.com
>>
>>Price: i355: $90 with service plan; i580: $280 with service plan.
>>
>>Service Provider: Nextel Wireless, phone: Customer Care: 800-639-6111;
>>Customer Care team for braille and large-print invoices: 888-211-4727;
>>
>>web site: Accessibility for All
>>
>>www2.sprint.com/mr/news_dtl.do?id=5060
>>
>>e-mail: [log in to unmask]
>>
>>web site:
>>
>>www.nextel.com
>>
>>Product: LG VX 4650.
>>
>>Manufacturer: LG Electronics, MobileComm U.S.A., 10225 Willow Creek Road,
>>San Diego, CA 92131; phone: 800-793-8896;
>>
>>e-mail:
>>
>>[log in to unmask]
>>
>>web site:
>>
>>http://us.lge.com
>>
>>Price: $69.99 with a two-year service plan.
>>
>>Service Provider: Verizon Wireless: phone: 800-256-4646;
>>
>>web site:
>>
>>www.verizonwireless.com
>>
>>Product: LG UX 4750.
>>
>>Manufacturer: LG Electronics, MobileComm U.S.A., 10225 Willow Creek Road,
>>San Diego, CA 92131; phone: 800-793-8896;
>>
>>e-mail: [log in to unmask]
>>
>>web site:
>>
>>http://us.lge.com
>>
>>Price: $99.95 with a two-year service plan.
>>
>>Service Provider: US Cellular, phone: 888-944-9400;
>>
>>web site:
>>
>>www.uscc.com/uscellular/SilverStream/Pages/uscellular.html
>>
>>Product: LG AX 4750.
>>
>>Manufacturer: LG Electronics, MobileComm U.S.A., 10225 Willow Creek Road,
>>San Diego, CA 92131; phone: 800-793-8896;
>>
>>e-mail:
>>
>>[log in to unmask]
>>
>>web site:
>>
>>http://us.lge.com
>>
>>Price: $74.95 with a two-year service plan.
>>
>>Service provider: Alltel, phone: 866-alltel7 or 866-255-8357, disability
>>coordinator: 800-579-9778;
>>
>>web site:
>>
>>www.alltel.com
>>
>>Product: Owasys 22C.
>>
>>Manufacturer: Owasys, Parque Tecnológico, 207-B, E-48170 Zamudio, Vizcaya,
>>Spain; phone: 34 946 025 328;
>>
>>web site:
>>
>>www.screenlessphone.com
>>
>>or
>>
>>www.owasys.com
>>
>>U.S. and Canadian Distributor: Capital Accessibility, phone: 202-595-7777
>>or 877-292-2747.
>>
>>Price: $199.95 with two-year service plan with T-Mobile, $249.95 with a
>>one-year service plan, $499.95 without a service plan.
>>
>>Service Provider: T-Mobile, phone: 800-T-MOBILE or 888-537-4242;
>>
>>web site:
>>
>>www.t-mobile.com
>>
>>Note: You must purchase the cell phone and service through Capital
>>Accessibility, not through T-Mobile.
>>
>>Product: Samsung SGH D-357.
>>
>>Manufacturer: Samsung Electronics America, 105 Challenger Road No. 1,
>>Ridgefield Park, NJ 07660; phone: 201-229-4000, Customer Service:
>>800-726-7864; web
>>site:
>>
>>www.samsung.com
>>
>>Price: $147.95 with a one-year service plan.
>>
>>Service Provider: Cingular Wireless, phone: 800-331-0500;
>>
>>web site:
>>
>>www.cingular.com
>>
>>or Cingular National Center for Customers with Disabilities,
>>
>>phone: 866-241-6568;
>>
>>web site:
>>
>>www.cingular.com/about/disability_resources
>>
>>Product: Samsung SGH A-920.
>>
>>Manufacturer: Samsung Electronics America, 105 Challenger Road No.1,
>>Ridgefield Park, NJ 07660; phone: 201-229-4000, Customer Service:
>>800-726-7864;
>>
>>web site:
>>
>>www.samsung.com
>>
>>Price: $149.99 with a one-year service plan.
>>
>>Service Provider: Sprint PCS, phone: 888-253-1315; Customer Service:
>>888-211-4727;
>>
>>web site:
>>
>>www.sprintpcs.com
>>
>>Funding for this product evaluation was provided by the Teubert
>>Foundation, Huntington, West Virginia. We also acknowledge the assistance
>>provided by Marshall
>>University intern Trenton Sturgill.
>>
>>Copyright © 2006 American Foundation for the Blind.
>>
>>http://www.afb.org/afbpress/pub.asp?DocID=aw070503
>
> Note a new e-mail address for Billie Jean.
>
> Please use [log in to unmask]
>
> The 2keiths address will not be valid after September.
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