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Blind and visually impaired get help mastering their cell phones: For the blind and visually impaired, using a cellular telephone poses extra challenges. But some special training makes it easier.Nov 13, 2009 (Pioneer Press - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- Janet Dickelman sat with her service dog at her feet, clicking away at the buttons on her cell phone. Across the table from her, a sales representative from ATT was coaching her on how to use it. But Dickelman wasn't learning how to master the complexities of modern cell phones. And she wasn't trying to set up an e-mail account or access the Internet. Dickelman is blind. On Thursday, at the Minnesota State Services for the Blind office in St. Paul, she was learning how to make her phone work better for her needs. "I don't care about texting and that kind of stuff," the St. Paul resident said. "I just want to access my address book." ATT offered the training sessions to visually impaired or blind cell phone users Thursday and they continue today. The sessions are modeled on "Cell Phones for Seniors," an ATT training program for senior citizens that began two years ago. "Our prime motivation is for people to use their devices better," ATT Minnesota president Bob Bass said. "It's just about helping people." Participants in the free program team up with ATT cell phone "coaches" who walk them through the ins and outs of using a cell phone, such as accessing voice mail, programming an address book and turning on voice controls. The one-on-one sessions were open to anyone regardless of their cell phone service provider. (All the slots for today are filled.) The event is meant to help the visually impaired learn to use cell phone technology that even people who are sighted sometimes struggle to master. "We're all going to have different needs," said Larry Lewis, the founder and president of Flying Blind, an Ohio-based technology company focusing on helping the visually impaired. "The Number 1 question is, What would you like a cell phone to do?" On Thursday, participants learned how to use technology built into their phones to sort through call logs, enter contacts and change ringtones. Others used specialized software to make their phone read text out loud. Rebecca Glassing, of Inver Grove Heights, came to find out how to generally make better use of her phone. Glassing, who went blind in February 2007, later upgraded to a phone that has more voice controls. On Thursday, she worked on locating and adding new contacts and using different buttons on the phone. Bob Green, of Brooklyn Center, came to find out how to program his speed dial and left knowing that his phone has speakerphone capabilities. During his session with a trainer, he called his wife and chatted with her about the phone's newfound uses. Green upgraded his phone two years ago, and while he said his new phone is better than his old one, he found its intricacies challenging to learn. "About the time you get used to something, there is something new," he said. Audio technologies in phones have changed greatly over the past decade, Lewis said. Downloadable software has enabled phones to read text on the screen, and that technology is standard in some new handsets today, such as Apple's iPhone. But even as audio technologies are evolving in phones, they still have their limitations and take some getting used to, said Dave Andrews, chief technology officer for the Minnesota State Services for the Blind. "The range of expertise changes with any group," he said. "Some get it, some don't." Despite the challenges presented with being visually impaired, ATT trainers said the questions they got were similar to those they receive in their stores. "It wasn't any different from any other customer wanting to know how to use their phone," said Tia O'Leary, one of the cell phone coaches. John Hemp, of Minneapolis, got help programming his phone to read phone numbers and contacts to him. Hemp said changing technology can be challenging to get used to for anyone, but he said he wanted cell phone companies to keep upgrading with more services to address different needs. "What is simple for some is not so simple for someone else," he said. Devin Henry can be reached at 651-265-2487. To see more of the Pioneer Press, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.twincities.com. Copyright (c) 2009, Pioneer Press, St. Paul, Minn. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email [email protected], call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA. |