Around 14% of adults in the UK have some form of disability. Some 7.5 million people have some hearing loss, about 1 million are visually impaired, more than 1 million people have learning difficulties and 70% of disabled people develop mobility problems. There are others who are not included in the official figures but have impairments making their day to day lives more difficult than would otherwise be the case. There are over 10.5 million older people and as we age we become more likely to suffer from disabilities. These are issues for us all. Taking into account partners, parent and children, 1 in 4 of the population are disabled or have a friend or relative with significant disability.

DIEL says: Provision for disabled and elderly users of telecommunications equipment and services should be inclusive and based on the concept of 'design for all'. We believe that equipment and services should be available in ways that do not exclude elderly and disabled consumers. This approach relies on the positive actions of telecom companies, be they network operators, service providers or terminal equipment manufacturers.

It also depends on OFTELs continued ability to enforce licence obligations and to champion the additional needs of disabled and elderly people in relation to telecommunications. DIEL liaises with OFTEL and its other Advisory Committees (CCE, SACOT, NIACT, WACT, CfB) to ensure that these needs are always taken into account.

The telecoms industry should:

• seize the sizeable market opportunity represented by elderly and disabled consumers; and
• meet the additional needs of these consumers by incorporating their requirements into the  design of products and services.

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