Category: accessible Devices
So after follwoing some suggestions, I purchased an ATT smart phone off Ebay and was able to bipass the rediculous data plan charge until today. Apparently they now check your phone any time a text message is sent out, so by sending 1 text message I am now being bombarded with a $20 manditory data plan because I happen to use a smart phone.
The problem:
This data plan thing has got to be the stupidest thing I've ever heard of. I want a phone that runs mobile speak and geo, that I can navigate around on, and I don't care about browsing the web on it at all, and not more than checking an occasional text message.
The Point:
Are there any newer phones that run Mobile Speak without being a smart phone or requiring a data plan? From my research I find that the short answer seems to be no, which brings me to my point. Why aren't the blind fighting the manditory data plans? Not every blind person wants to use the data features of a Smart Phone. Some such as myself simply need it because of its compatibility with Mobile Speak. So how in the world is it legal to charge us to have equal access to our phones? Has this issue been explored by any organizations and if so what conclusions were made? Or if it hasn't been explored, why in the world hasn't it? I'm sick and tired of just stupidly accepting it, when these companies just throw us blind people a bone and expect us to be grateful.
If anyone has any insight into this matter or can point me to somewhere that may, I would be much appreciative.
Have you called there technical support to see if they can help with this? I think your jumping the gun when it doesn't appear you've even bothered to contact the company. I've had my data plan shut off before when I didn't need it by explaining I'm blind and had no problems when explaining the situation to a customer support representitive over the phone.
I think you're jumping the gun by assuming that I haven't contacted them. :P
In fact I have spoken with both Verizon and ATT reps up to supervisors and on several occasions as I know that sometimes it does just depend on who you speak with. Both companies informed me that there is no way to make an exception for someone who is blind, that the fact is when the account holder is using a Smart phone they "have" to charge a manditory data plan and there is nothing they can do.
I even have my data currently blocked, but that is still not reason enough for them to drop a data plan if I use a Smart Phone. They spout some bs about not being able to access all the phone's features if I don't have a plan and it's in my best interest. When I have explained to them that I in fact do not care about the full features of the Smart Phones, they have gone on with the "we'd like to help, we understand, but there's nothing we can do."
call the disability line, if you are blind with AT and T they will send you a form to be filled out by your doctor and you can opt out of the dataplan.
Your origional post did not specifically mention who you talked to so I did not want to assume you had talked to someone. To my knowledge Verizon will not wave the data plan if you are blind. ATT will last I checked if you talk to there disability department. The process probably goes smoother if you baught mobilespeak through them at the discounted price. There disability office is open Monday through Saturday I believe, and should be able to do a better job of helping you out then the generic customer support.
Thank you. I had no idea and it's funny that none of the customer service reps and supervisors I spoke to did either. It enfuriated me as I spent the last year going through the same issue with Verizon. I will give disability services a call.
That whole thing is crap! Maybe its because I am in Canada, but data plans are optional, at least for Rogers Wireless up here. I did get one, but was told if I didn't get one then any updates to my phone or any browsing I did would be charged as a per-KB rate. I forget what it is, but I like the internet on my phone as it is, so I bit the bullet and bought data plan
I have to agree that this is most likely bullshit. I'm sure that they could physically and technically remove the plan from your phone. They're just refusing to do so. Personally, I would have a problem with that whether I was blind or sighted. It reminds me of the stupid plans with cable, phone and internet when all you really may need is a phone line.
If sighted people buy a smart phone, they have to buy the mandatory dataplan as well... Just saying
I think the point is not asking for special rights: it's that many blind users may be just like many sighted users: wanting to use what we call a messaging phone: phone, text, and calendar / alarm clock. Few phones of this type are available with a reader in them. Once that barrier is crossed, the data plan issue will cease to be an issue. Of course, by then, we may have gone more mobile with computing solutions anyway.
And now that I've been around the 'blind community' for a little while, I can see most of my presuppositions about many not affording stuff must be wrong: For all that we working stiffs supporting families can't afford the new smartphone devices, it's amazing how many people living on our taxes can get all the new toys. So perhaps my thoughts on the messaging phones needing readers are moot.