Mobile phones and the internet are changing the way we communicate. Having the freedom to communicate through a mobile is an essential part of our daily lives, giving us greater independence, flexibility and security.
At Vodafone, we want to make sure that everyone can enjoy this connected world. We understand that for customers with disabilities, finding the right mobile phone or understanding how to use it can be difficult. To give you more information and practical advice on our products and services, we have created this section to make sure that you get the most from your mobile.
We support the Global Accessibility Reporting Initiative (GARI)
which provides information about the accessibility features available on a wide range of mobile phones. We may not stock all the phones listed on the site, but if you know the features you need, we'll do our best to help you find a similar device. Vodafone Smartphone Accessibility Guide
Using your phone as assistive technology
Many people with a disability have found that mobile phones and tablets can become assistive technology in their own right as an alternative to dedicated devices.
Here are three examples of such use – each requires the download of specific apps to the phone by a user. Some of these applications require you to purchase them from the appropriate app store:
- Communication Aid
Downloading and installing communication software to your phone or tablet can turn it into a portable communication device. Such technology can be used to help with face to face communication for people with hearing loss or those with little or no speech where the phone can be used to speak out messages typed in by the person with a disability.
- Hand Held Magnifier
With high resolution cameras becoming common on phones and tablets the installation of an app can help people with low vision to read labels on bottles and jars, documents or even signs. The camera can be used to view the text at a greater size and can even be used to invert colours and contrasts of the image.
- Navigation
Many applications for navigation and finding your way, both on foot or by car have speech output, along with the routes these can be very helpful to those who are easily confused, with limited sight or with a learning difficulty.
There are many other examples of mobile devices being used to support needs, contact the Mada center for further information.
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