Vodacom – “Disempowering Disability”

Yesterday Vodacom launched three new speaking phones for the disabled.  The launch formed part of Vodacom's 2008 disability campaign which aims to make technology more accessible to people with specific needs.

Karen Smit, Vodacom's senior specialist together with her team is responsible for the campaign.  Being differently abled herself, she said: "gender or race cannot be changed but your ability can be changed".  Karen also spoke about the need to democratize ICTs in order to allow minority groups such as the disabled to participate in the economy.

The phones that were launched were the Nokia E82, E65 and E51.  The mobile phones come with special software that makes it easier for the visually impaired to use.  To access the phones, one needs to call the Vodacom special needs call centre.   

According to the Peter Uys, Vodacom's COO (and soon to be CEO) very little has been done to include disabled people in the telecommunications world.  Uys also mentioned that technology needed to be more accessible to the disabled people.  

Elaine Cater was the motivational speaker of the day.  She is visually impaired and is a one of Vodacom's specific needs valuable customer.  Elaine articulated how the speaking phone had given her freedom, privacy and independence.   She was given another free speaking phone as a gift for being loyal to Vodacom.  Eleven other organisations for the visually impaired were also given free speaking phones.

The day ended with a one man play by Pedro Kruger entitled Normality. I had mixed feelings about it but by the end of the show I felt it was a good play.  The way the message was communicated seemed quite odd at first.  (But go watch it!)    

My concern is the affordability of the phones.  The three speaking phones are expensive without the special software so obviously with the software they will be even more expensive.  In my view, accessibility will still be for the privileged even in the case of people with specific needs.  It will be very hard to bridge the digital divide if we don't consider the issue of affordability.