Yes, and a cell phone company could partner with a re-seller to install
the software, sell the phone and calling plans and service the phones
like storefront outlets do.  The phones would be at the same price as the
mainstream phones.  While the supported accessible feature set is more,
it is a solution that the cell phone companies could implement right away
while a more flexible or modest solution is available.

It is like optical character recognition programs for the blind, such as
the K1000 or the Open Book.  They are the digital version of 100 bladed
Swiss Army knives when compared to mainstream OCR products.
Interestingly, the programs also cost a grand to purchase.  Given that
the blind is a small customer base, it is easier to offer one product
with everything in it rather than multiple kinds of products with
different features and benefits.  There is the cost of ongoing
development and support for multiple products compared to a single
product.

My sense of the cell phone issue is that much project management and
service delivery expertise has been devoted to number portability.  Once
the companies feel comfortable that they can handle nearly all number
switch requests without error, then there will be room to resume focus on
other projects, such as cell phone access.

After reading the FCC rules, I believe that the large national cell phone
service providers should at least be starting a pilot with a limited
number of users offering phones, software installation, and service
during 2004 to comply with 255.  Certainly, they need to figure out how
to provide such an offering, but if there is no clearly defined program
with benchmarks in place during the next year, it does raise questions of
commitment.

Kelly


----- Original Message -----
From: "David Poehlman" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Wednesday, December 17, 2003 5:43 AM
Subject: Re: FW: Mobile Accessibility 2 - Released - Special Promotion
till 31.12.2003


> Hi Christopher,
>
> It's a matter of parity not simple desire.  I'll get to the screen
reader
> issue in a moment, but suffice it to say that cell phones are being
given
> away and sold at rediculously low prices like 4995 and less to those
who can
> use them but for us to get access we have to pay almost a thousand
dollars
> and there are still issues.  We need integrated access, it is our right
o
> have integrated access inthe 21st century and we should work towards
it.  I
> am glad you can afford such a luxury and this is where the screen
reader
> comes in.  Computers should have them built in upon request but that is
> another matter but it could sugnificantly lower the cost.
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Christopher J chaltain" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Tuesday, December 16, 2003 10:03 PM
> Subject: Re: FW: Mobile Accessibility 2 - Released - Special Promotion
till
> 31.12.2003
>
>
> David,
>
> I respect your desire for a simple accessible cell phone.  I personally
> have a Nokia 9290 Communicator with the Talks software.  This is by no
> means a simple cell phone, and I do have to pay extra to make it
> accessible via the Talks software.  I think of it as analogous to
> purchasing a PC and buying a screen reader to make it accessible.  I
> applaud your efforts to get a simple accessible cell phone, and I
> definitely think there's a need for such a product.  However, I am very
> pleased with my PDA/cell phone, and I am glad there are applications
like
> Talks that give me access to virtually all of the Communicator's
features.
>
> Christopher
>
> Christopher J Chaltain
> [log in to unmask]
>
>
>
>
> David Poehlman <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent by: "VICUG-L: Visually Impaired Computer Users' Group List"
> <[log in to unmask]>
> 12/16/2003 08:10 AM
> Please respond to David Poehlman
>
>
>         To:     [log in to unmask]
>         cc:
>         Subject:        Re: [VICUG-L] FW: Mobile Accessibility 2 -
> Released - Special Promotion
>     till              31.12.2003
>
> I have not seen evidence strong enough that the software is good enough
> and
> stable enough.  all three of the pachages that I know of have issues
and
> they all seem to run on these high end platforms.  When I find software
> that
> does what I have described for a simple cell phone, I will be happy to
> follow up if I am in the market for it.
>
> I am not even counting the combinations of assistive technology or
devices
> adding assistive technology that can be interfaced with the cellular
> network.  While I agree that there are wonders being performed, it
seems
> we
> have a higher price to pay for them continually than most do.
>
> The issues will resolve themselves eventually as companies work to
achieve
> accesibility from within and the first time a company puts out an
> accessible
> simple cell phone, that will be when it has been proven that it can be
> done
> and then action can be taken to widen the possibilities.  So for now, I
> work
> with manufacturers to provide from within.
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Kelly Pierce" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Tuesday, December 16, 2003 8:49 AM
> Subject: Re: FW: Mobile Accessibility 2 - Released - Special Promotion
> till
> 31.12.2003
>
>
> Section 255 is not enforced unless people file complaints.  Have you
> requested from the major cell phone companies this software installed
on
> a phone that they will provide at no additional charge?  If so and they
> refused, have you filed complaints against each of the cell phone
> companies for its failure to provide access when clearly a solution is
> available that they could pay for and deploy that provides access and
> complies with the regulation?  If not, why not?  If you want
> accountability with an accessibility regulation, this is the primary
> means to accomplish such.
>
> Unfortunately, Section 255 does not allow one to sue so a federal court
> can decide if the company is ignoring the regulation and then order
> remedies to provide access.  One can only complain to the FCC, who may
do
> what they want with the complaint.
>
> Kelly
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "David Poehlman" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Tuesday, December 16, 2003 7:25 AM
> Subject: Re: FW: Mobile Accessibility 2 - Released - Special Promotion
> till 31.12.2003
>
>
> > This is all very nice, but all I want is a simple cell phone with
> buttons I
> > can use that talks important things like signal strength, bat life
and
> > caller id and log.  I don't need all that other stuff, further, I
don't
> want
> > all that other stuff.  I've got enough ways to do the other stuff and
I
> can
> > only do one thing at a time with one device so while I'm s m s ing, I
> can't
> > use the phone to talk on or while I am talking I cannot write etc and
> the
> > bat life must be horrendous!  Also, here in the states, 255 tells us
> that we
> > should not have to pay extra for accessibility so I still wait for my
> phone
> > to meet the regs.
> >
> >
> > VICUG-L is the Visually Impaired Computer User Group List.
> > To join or leave the list, send a message to
> > [log in to unmask]  In the body of the message, simply
> type
> > "subscribe vicug-l" or "unsubscribe vicug-l" without the quotations.
> >  VICUG-L is archived on the World Wide Web at
> > http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/vicug-l.html
> >
>
>
> VICUG-L is the Visually Impaired Computer User Group List.
> To join or leave the list, send a message to
> [log in to unmask]  In the body of the message, simply
type
> "subscribe vicug-l" or "unsubscribe vicug-l" without the quotations.
>  VICUG-L is archived on the World Wide Web at
> http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/vicug-l.html
>
>
> VICUG-L is the Visually Impaired Computer User Group List.
> To join or leave the list, send a message to
> [log in to unmask]  In the body of the message, simply
type
> "subscribe vicug-l" or "unsubscribe vicug-l" without the quotations.
>  VICUG-L is archived on the World Wide Web at
> http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/vicug-l.html
>
>
> VICUG-L is the Visually Impaired Computer User Group List.
> To join or leave the list, send a message to
> [log in to unmask]  In the body of the message, simply
type
> "subscribe vicug-l" or "unsubscribe vicug-l" without the quotations.
>  VICUG-L is archived on the World Wide Web at
> http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/vicug-l.html
>
>
> VICUG-L is the Visually Impaired Computer User Group List.
> To join or leave the list, send a message to
> [log in to unmask]  In the body of the message, simply
type
> "subscribe vicug-l" or "unsubscribe vicug-l" without the quotations.
>  VICUG-L is archived on the World Wide Web at
> http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/vicug-l.html
>


VICUG-L is the Visually Impaired Computer User Group List.
To join or leave the list, send a message to
[log in to unmask]  In the body of the message, simply type
"subscribe vicug-l" or "unsubscribe vicug-l" without the quotations.
 VICUG-L is archived on the World Wide Web at
http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/vicug-l.html