Operators in the United States are customizing the mobile experience for the deaf and hearing impaired, but only a handful of operators in Asia appear to be listening to the needs of this segment.
Late last month, Singapore’s M1 took a step toward catering to the needs of the hearing-impaired by launching two service plans exclusively for members of the Singapore Association for the Deaf. The plans, one of which is targeted at hearing-impaired Blackberry users, contain no voice call minutes. Instead, users get 50 minutes of free outgoing video calls, free incoming video calls, a 3GB data bundle and a whopping 10,000 SMS and MMS. The plans are priced at S$25.68 ($20.17) and S$29.96 for Blackberry users.
M1’s chief marketing officer P. Subramaniam said at the plans’ launch that the operator recognized hearing-impaired individuals primarily communicated via email, SMS, MMS, instant messaging, social applications and video calls and expressed hope that the plans would better cater to the needs of this segment.
Qatar’s Q-Tel offers deaf and hearing-impaired users a 50% discount off rates for local SMS, MMS voice and video calls; and Q-Tel late last year announced an initiative in conjunction with Vodafone Qatar and the Qatar Assistive Technology Centre to enhance the mobile experience for disabled individuals via methods such as assistive technologies and specialized handsets.
Asia’s neighbors Australia and New Zealand fare slightly better.
Incumbents Telecom New Zealand and Telstra provide assistive services and guides on using mobile phones for the hearing impaired.
Deaf and hearing impaired consumers in New Zealand have access to a government initiated service known as NZ relay, which helps these individuals keep in touch by phone without the assistance of friends and family. The service, which operates two call centers (a traditional relay service center and video relay center), operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a week.
New Zealand’s relay initiative was inspired by a similar initiative from Sprint in the United States, which hosts a suite of services for the deaf and hearing-impaired.
Sprint lays claim to a Sprint Relay Store tailored to the deaf and hearing-impaired. The site sells data-only phones, each with a rating on compatibility with hearing aids. Sprint’s services for the deaf and hearing-impaired include unlimited video relay and a Sprint mobile IP app for Android devices which allows people who are deaf, hearing-impaired or have speech disabilities to communicate using text on mobile devices with the help of Sprint relay operators. The service is only available in the United States.
Sprint has also seized the opportunity to promote its 4G network for this segment, particularly touting the benefits of video relay over the hi-speed network.