Ref: 52/03
Date: 25 September 2003

Oftel today hosted the launch of the mobile industry’s Good Practice Guide for Service Delivery for Disabled and Elderly Customers in the UK.

The guide has been produced to ensure that there is an effective range of mobile products and services available to meet the particular needs of older and disabled customers.

Special features that should be available on handsets aimed at elderly and disabled customers include:

• compatibility with hearing aids;
• larger fonts and screen contrast adjustments; and
• large size to ensure they are easy to grip.

Peter Waller, Deputy Director of Telecommunications, spoke at the launch:

"The mobile phone is a major part of today’s modern society, and so it is important that older and disabled people can have access to mobile services.

"Service providers have a important role to ensure the necessary special features are available on mobile handsets. Oftel welcomes the positive steps the mobile industry has taken by publishing this guide on the features that must be available on handsets designed for people with special needs."

Bob Twitchin, Chairman of the Advisory Committee on Telecommunications for Disabled and Elderly People, said:

"The guide is the product of a working group of mobile operator and consumer stakeholders. It is an important part of a continuing process to improve the quality and range of mobile communications for disabled and older customers."

The guide is designed to advise and assist the mobile industry, including network operators, service providers and retailers on how to make their products and service more accessible to disabled and elderly consumers.

Notes to editors

1. The guide can be found at: www.oftel.gov.uk/consumer/for/initiatives/mobileneeds/docs/goodpracticeguide0703.pdf

2. A leaflet for consumers, based on the guide, will also be available.

3. The guide has been adopted by Orange, O2, T-Mobile, Vodafone and Three.

4. The Advisory Committee on Telecommunications for Disabled and Elderly People (DIEL) is one of the six Advisory Committees on Telecommunications (ACTs) set up under the Telecommunications Act 1984. DIEL advises the Director General of Telecommunications on issues affecting older and disabled telecommunications.

5. The guide deals with the mobile industry's approach to customers and Part III of the Disability Discrimination Act (1995) and its obligations under General Condition 15 which came into force as part of the new EU Communications framework on 25 July 2003.