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Cell Phone for Visually Impaired?

Pat H

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Brigantine
My Mom wants a cell phone to use as her primary phone. She's 85 and has lost a lot of her vision due to macular degeneration. Any suggestions for a model with large numbers and screen?
 
I would recommend you get in contact with your "Blind Association" (that's what it's called in Australia) and ask for a referral to businesses selling products for the visually impaired.

When I went to a normal phone store there was nothing available on the shelf (not a big market they said).

I went a presentation at a Nursing Home recently and there were many great products available to assist the visually impaired. Many of the items I didn't even know existed.
 
Try the new Jitterbug. It is made for seniors, very simple, large displays and large buttons. Cushioned earpiece to make hearing better.

www.jitterbug.com
simple easy to use, two syles, one for emergency only the other has serveral plans starting at $10.00 per month.
Love them!
 
Some cell phones can also be set up for voice activation and that may help. For example simply saying "Call Pat" to dial. She would probably need assistance in setting it up initially.
 
Try the new Jitterbug. It is made for seniors, very simple, large displays and large buttons. Cushioned earpiece to make hearing better.

www.jitterbug.com
simple easy to use, two syles, one for emergency only the other has serveral plans starting at $10.00 per month.
Love them!

Thanks, that phone looks perfect even though expensive. I'm used to getting the phone for free. Can you only buy them direct from the company?
 
Pat
The jitterbug does have a voisc activation and if you give them numbers when ordering, they will have it all set up before they ship it out.

Here is an excellent evalutation of the phone. One thing I did not know was there is a maximum of 300 minutes on plans (more about that in the article). This isn't an issue for our parents.
http://www.afb.org/afbpress/pub.asp?DocID=aw080203

Here is anoher place to purchase:
http://www.firststreetonline.com/product.jsp?id=50814
I too was used to getting them free but the folks would not use them. They don't want a camera, text message, etc, etc, and they couldn't figure out how to use them.
 
My father-in-law is totally blind, [aged 72], so we purchased one of these -Easy5 Phone

The phone can only store 5 numbers - but we simply popped in a Vodaphone prepaid sim card and he was up and running within 10 minutes.

I imagine it 'should/could' work with US mobile networks - but I'm not able to confirm that.

He is now able to call us whenever he wishes - down side is his wife can also track him when he calls in at his local for a couple of whiskies on his way home :eek:

Very easy to operate.

Homer


update: I had the phone shipped from France to the UK and it's guaranteed to work in the UK - I can't see anywhere on the ebay site that mentions if it does work in the US. It is dual band though.
 
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Mom ended up with an LG model. Can't remember which one but the numbers were bright white and she could see them. It was harder teaching her how to answer and end a call. I asked if she wanted me to program our numbers for her and she said no, she knows them all by heart.
 
If someone has lost enough vision to meet the legal requirements for legal blindness, that can be certified by an eye doctor.

Most local phone companies offer a variety of special services (such as a phone with large numbers or free directory assistance) for legally blind individuals.

I don't know exactly what the cell phone providers do for the visually impaired or legally blind, but it would be easy to inquire.

Try this link for some information:
http://www.etoengineering.com/articles/article_accessible_cell_phones_for_the_visually_impaired.pdf

In the U.S., we have a number of organizations devoted to assisting the visually handicapped. You could check with the National Association for the Visually Handicapped or a local affiliate of either The Lighthouse or The Braille Institute. All of these organizations have websites.
 
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