Disabled 'let down' by mobile firms

No wires does not always mean less fuss

Many mobile phone firms do not offer adequate help for disabled users, argues BBC producer Colin Hughes.

In July I highlighted the difficulties of getting Bluetooth headsets for mobile phones to work for me.

I have muscular dystrophy, a condition that confines me to a wheelchair and means my muscles are severely weakened. It makes lifting a mobile phone to my ear impossible.

The traditional hands free devices I've tried are fiddly and sound quality is variable. Bluetooth, which uses radio to swap information between handset and headset, looked like the answer.

Or so I thought.

Care call

I was hugely disappointed to discover that the "answer" button on the SonyEricsson Bluetooth headset must be pressed to take a call.

I am unable to do this, making the gadget next to useless.

The first article setting out these difficulties generated a large response from people worldwide contacting me with potential solutions.

What is Bluetooth?

A short-range, up to 10 metres, radio technology that lets devices using it swap data without wires. Bluetooth specification defines how devices find and talk to each other.

As it was published, someone from an online SonyEricsson discussion group responded to an earlier plea for help and told me I could solve the problem by updating the software on my T68 handset.

This was confirmed when a SonyEricsson scientist, who wanted to remain anonymous, contacted me keen to help.

He said customer care at SonyEricsson should be able to arrange to update my phone software free of charge.

The following day SonyEricsson customer care contacted me by phone to offer their help.

This was prompted by help I had received from SonyEricsson in the US.

I had been forced to turn to the American office because I got nowhere quickly with SonyEricsson UK.

The UK office flatly told me that my problem could not be fixed.

The US response could not have been more different. SonyEricsson USA employs people solely to do technical support for disabled customers. My e-mail resulted in an hour-long call from North Carolina offering advice.

No knowledge

It soon became clear that the US office had encouraged, persuaded or cajoled SonyEricsson in Britain to help.

Despite my explanation about the T68 software upgrade, the UK office knew nothing about it.

Hughes: Initially disappointed with Bluetooth

When I explained that other users, their US counterparts, and one of their own scientists had told me there was a solution they went away to check. An hour later they replied and confirmed they could help and said if I sent them my handset they would upgrade my software free of charge.

Which I have now done.

I am using it with SonyEricsson's latest Bluetooth headset, the HBH-30, and I'm very pleased with the outcome.

I no longer have to press the answer button. Instead I answer calls with the handset or just by voice.

It's wonderfully liberating.

Lessons learned

This protracted experience has taught me a couple of things about the British mobile phone industry.

UK and European mobile phone manufacturers could be doing a lot more to meet the needs of disabled and older people.

US websites of the telecom companies hold reams of information explaining how their products can help disabled people. SonyEricsson even has a call centre dedicated to handling disabled customer enquiries.

By contrast disabled consumers get scant mention on the UK websites of any mobile phone manufacturer. None offer a specialist information service.

Handsets are getting fancier

The manufacturers need to focus some of their creativity on the consumers who have most to gain from their exciting advances. If they thought a little more about designing their products with people like us in mind they'd discover a whole new market.

About eight million people in the UK have some form of disability. There are more than 10.5 million older people and as we age we are more likely to suffer disabilities.

And If UK and European manufacturers do not take more account of disabled and older people, they should be made to.

American legislation places heavy responsibilities on US companies to make their products useable. There are no such legal obligations on manufacturers of mobile phones for the UK, even though Oftel is charged with promoting the interests of all consumers.

Nor must they provide information on their products that would be useful to disabled people. This situation must change so everyone can take full advantage of these exciting technological advances.

Finally, as a lone consumer with a personal problem, you should never take no for an answer. There is always an answer out there, if you are prepared to look for it.