Phones and Broadband a guide for people with disabilities- and older people Acknowledgement Equipment and services The following guide is the product that make it easier of considerable work by the NDA, ComReg, the telecommunications to communicate using sector including both fixed-line and the phone or broadband mobile operators, and representative disability organisations including: This guide has been designed to inform BT Communications Ireland you about the various phone features eircom Ltd and services available from Service 3 Mobile Providers in this country. Information Meteor is provided on: Vodafone Ireland • Useful telephone features and O2 Communications Ireland services; People with Disabilities in Ireland • Useful broadband internet services; Disability Federation of Ireland • Billing and customer support National Council for the Blind information; and National Association for Deaf People • The contact details for the various agencies and service providers. The NDA and ComReg would like If you find any services that appeal to thank all participants for their to you, you can contact any of the contribution, and wish to acknowledge Service Providers listed in the ‘Contact that the guide represents a joint effort Information’section at the end of the by all concerned. guide. All listed services are offered by at least one provider, sometimes more. Video calling: Useful phone services This enables Phone service providers offer a communication between two handsets number of services that enable using live video. Currently, this service people with disabilities to is available only on mobile handsets communicate more easily. To find which are equipped to access the 3G out whether these are available, network (3G stands for ‘Third contact the individual service Generation’and enables you to providers. Contact details are use services such as the Internet, or provided at the end of this brochure. Instant Messaging on your 3G enabled mobile phone). Free Directory Enquiries: For those SMS to speech: This is a service that who are unable to use a phone book converts any text messages (also called because of a disability, some operators SMS) that are sent to you into speech provide special directory enquiries so you can listen to them. This can be services free of charge. Delivery Reports: very useful if you have difficulty This feature, which reading the display and do not have is quite common on mobile phones, a phone that can convert text to speech lets you receive a free text message itself. stating whether the text message you Text relay service: This service allows have sent has been received by the you to receive voice messages on a recipient. text-phone by translating them into text. You can then send that text to the text-phone of customers of any operator. Hearing-aid compatible: Useful features of fixed-line Phones phones and mobile phones that can be used with a hearing aid You may find some of the following (hearing-aid compatible phones) can features helpful. These are available be much easier to use if you are hard on some fixed-line phone handsets of hearing. To use this feature, set your (sometimes called your landline or hearing aid to the ‘T’position. Headsets: home phone) and mobile phones. Some phones can be used Contact your service provider (the with an earpiece or headset. This may telephone company which provides be connected either through a standard you with a phone service) to find out ‘mini jack’headphone socket in your whether they can provide equipment phone or wirelessly using Bluetooth. with these features. Contact details Bluetooth is the name of the technology for all service providers are included that allows devices to communicate at the end of this brochure. wirelessly. This can produce better call quality for some people and is easier to Large keys: use if you need voice output. Some phones have keys Voice output: that are larger than normal, well spaced Voice output is available or recessed and with a raised dot on the on some mobile phones to speak out number 5. These can be much easier to the menus and other information on the use for people who have difficulty display. Voice output makes most or all seeing or operating small controls. of the phone’s functions available if Hands-free: you cannot read the text on the display. A phone that you can Volume: use hands-free, by having an in-built Some phones are louder microphone and loudspeaker, can than others. Most have adjustable be useful if you have trouble holding volume level. a handset. Text (SMS) and multimedia Backlit keypad: Some mobile phones messaging (MMS): All mobile phones have keypads that light up, making it and some fixed-line phones can be easier to see the numbers and letters in used to send text messages. Some can the dark. also send multimedia messages that Flashing indicator: Phones may offer contain video, sound, or photographs. a flashing display function which Text size: Some phones have larger visually notifies you of an incoming displays with bigger text or text call or text message. that is adjustable in size if you have Vibration Function: low vision. A phone with a built in vibration Display screen contrast: The screen function will notify you of an incoming on some phones uses a display with call or text message by vibration. more or better contrast than others. Voice dialling: This allows you to dial a person by just speaking their name, once you have entered their number into the phone’s ‘phone book’. Quick dial keys: Many phones allow you to associate specific numbers to certain keys, so that pressing the key automatically dials the number. In some cases, special keys are provided with symbols on them to indicate the function, such as Doctor, Police or Assistance. This can be very useful in providing security if you cannot easily remember numbers. Instant Messaging: Useful broadband internet Instant messaging services can be described as having a text Broadband internet offers a number conversation in real time. Many Instant of alternative or additional Messaging programs are available free possibilities for communication. of charge and some can even be used Some of these may make on a mobile phone. Popular Instant communication easier or more cost Messengers are MSN Messenger, AIM, effective if you have a disability. ICQ and Yahoo Messenger. Email: An email is a message which Internet calling: is sent electronically (over the internet) There are various from one person to another. To send services available over the internet to and receive emails you need an email make low-cost phone calls, video calls account. These accounts are mostly and text messages. One of the more free of charge. Popular email services popular low-cost phone call services are provided by Google, Yahoo, and is called Skype™. Windows Live. Online access to services: Reading bills and other Some information service providers offer online access If you find it difficult to read printed through their website to services like text, there are other ways you can looking at your bill or changing to access the information. another package. Customer Support: All service Other bill formats: providers offer customer support for the range of equipment and services If you have difficulty reading your they provide. The following supports phone bill, it may be possible to ask can be very useful. for it in a different format, such as Set-up assistance large print, Braille, audio or clear print. : Assistance may be Alternatively, you may be able to have available with the set-up of equipment your bill delivered by email, or to view and services. User guides: an accessible online version on the service provider’s website. When you purchase a new phone, a Other information: Information user guide will be included. If you need describing services and instructions on the user guide in a different format, how to set them up is often available in such as Braille, you should contact accessible formats, such as large print, your service provider to find out what Braille, plain text, email or accessible other options they can provide. web pages. Help with costs Free equipment: The following services can help Some of the features or accessories that greatly to reduce the cost of using you need in a phone handset or mobile your phone. phone are provided by some operators at no extra cost or at a discount. Contact your service provider to The Telephone Allowance: Many find out which ones they offer. Free services: people with disabilities and older Operators may provide people can receive help with their some services free if you need them. phone bills from the Department of For example, free priority fault repair Social and Family Affairs, under the if you are vulnerable and rely on your Household Benefits Scheme. To find phone for contact and requesting out whether you qualify and how to assistance. apply, contact the Department of Social SMS Bundles: and Family Affairs (details available in Certain mobile the ‘Contact information’section of operators may offer a special package this guide) called a Text Bundle. You could save Free calls: money by purchasing text messages Many mobile phone and in a bundle compared to normal priced fixed-line service providers provide text messaging. packages that allow you to make free calls to people who are registered with the same service provider. This can save you a lot of money for numbers that you dial frequently. Contact information 3 Mobile Hutchison 3G Ireland Ltd., Service providers PO Box 333, Dublin 2 From your 3 mobile: 333 Below are the contact details of the From other mobiles/phones: service providers who have 083 333 3333 contributed to this guide: Minicom users: 1800 944 032 Fax: 01 - 5426301 BT Ireland Website: www.three.ie

BT Communications Ireland Ltd, Meteor Head Office, Grand Central Plaza, Upper Grand Canal Street, Dublin 4 Meteor Mobile Communications Ltd., 4030 Kingswood Avenue, Phone: 1800 923 924 (Sales Support) Citywest Business Park, Phone: 1904 Naas Road, Dublin 24 (Customer Care & Billing) Website: www.btireland.ie Phone: 1905 Website: www.meteor.ie Eircom Email: [email protected] Eircom Ltd, 114 St Stephen’s Green West, Dublin 2 Phone: 1901 Website: www.eircom.ie/disabilityservices O2 Disability organisations O2 Customer Care Centre, Below are the organisations that McLaughlin Road, contributed to the making of this National Technology Park, guide: Limerick Phone: 1747 (Prepay Customer Care – People with Disabilities in Ireland 14c per call) (PWDI) Phone: 1909 (Pay Monthly Customer care – Free of Charge) 4th Floor Jervis House, Email: [email protected] Jervis Street, Dublin 1 Website: www.o2.ie Phone: 01 - 872 1744 Vodafone Fax: 01 - 872 1771 Email [email protected] Vodafone, Mountainview, Website: www.pwdi.ie Leopardstown, Dublin 18 Disability Federation of Ireland Phone: 1850 20 87 87 (Ready To Go Customers – Callsave charge applies) Fumbally Court, Fumbally Lane, Phone: 1907 (Pay Monthly Customers Dublin 8 – Free of Charge) Fax: 042 - 932 67 45 (Pay Monthly Phone: 01 - 454 7978 Customers) Fax: 01 - 454 7981 Website: www.vodafone.ie Email: [email protected] Website: www.disability-federation.ie National Council for the Blind of Commission for Communications Ireland (NCBI) Regulation (ComReg) NCBI Head Office,Whitworth Road, ComReg is the regulator for the Drumcondra, Dublin 9 electronic communications (telecommunications, radio Phone: 1850 334 353 communications and broadcasting) Fax: 01 830 7787 and postal sectors. Email: [email protected] Block DEF, Abbey Court, National Association for Deaf People Irish Life Centre, Lower Abbey Street, 35 North Frederick Street, Dublin 1 Dublin 1 Email: [email protected] Phone: 01 872 3800 Main website: www.comreg.ie Minicom: 01 817 5777 Consumer website www.askcomreg.ie Fax: 01 878 3692 Operator comparison website: Email: [email protected] www.callcosts.ie Text Messages: 01 878 3692 Videophone: 01 817 1400 National Disability Authority (NDA) The NDA is the lead state agency on disability issues, providing independent expert advice to Government on policy and practice. 25 Clyde Road, Dublin 4 Phone: 01-608 0400 Fax: 01-660 9935 Email: [email protected] Website: www.nda.ie Department of Social and Family Affairs (DSFA) The DSFA are in charge of the Household Benefits Package. Included in the package is the Free Telephone Scheme which can entitle you to a subsidy in either your mobile or fixed- line phone. Below are the contact details for the Sligo branch which are the head office in charge of the Household Benefit Scheme: Social Welfare Services Office, College Road, Sligo Tel: 1890 500 000 Website: www.welfare.ie

Legal Disclaimer: We prepared this document from a variety of sources. While we took reasonable care to prepare it, we do not accept any responsibility for any loss or damage anyone may suffer by using any of this information. September 2007