"Vodacom is proud to be the first operator in South Africa to increase accessibility to cellular communication products and services in line with our Specific Needs Initiative launched in 2004," says Dot Field, Chief Communications Officer, Vodacom Group.
Text-to-speech software is loaded onto the Vodacom Speaking Phones that converts the information displayed on the cellphone screen to speech, including text messages and contacts. This software also enables the user to check other information, including battery life and signal strength.
Speaking phones are available on Vodacom Contract-, Top Up- and Prepaid packages and are available at participating Vodacom approved outlets.
"Vodacom Speaking Phone users will not pay extra for the text-to-speech software as Vodacom has subsidised this cost," says Field.
The focus of the Specific Needs Initiative is accessibility: access to the company, access to information and access to Vodacom's products and services for all. Karen Smit, Senior Specialist for Specific Needs and Employment Equity at Vodacom Group and a disabled Vodacom employee herself, highlights the need for such products and services within the cellular industry: "We are proud to be the pioneers of this service in South Africa, and on the continent as a whole. At Vodacom, accessibility is always top of mind and as a disabled person I understand how important independence, accessibility and mobility is."
Vodacom will continue to offer the "voice bill" service which allows visually impaired or blind customers access to their itemised billing electronically through reader software on their computers.
For more information on these phones, customers can contact Vodacom's dedicated Specific Needs Contact Centre, which aims to provide information and assistance on their products and services to customers with disabilities, on 12580, free from a Vodacom cellphone, or on 082 12580 from any other phone (standard rates apply). Customers can also send an SMS to 12580 (free from a Vodacom cellphone) or email to .
Information is available on the Vodacom website: www.vodacom.co.za, under the Specific Needs section.
