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Stay in touch - A guide to telephones and services for older and disabled people 2004 (view report contents)

Useful features if you have limited mobility

A cordless or mobile phone may be a big help if you find it difficult to get to the phone quickly, but many are so small that they can be hard to grip

Key points

  • Is the handset easy to grip

  • Do the buttons have a positive feel?

  • Is it easy to dial regularly used numbers?

  • A hands-free (speaker) phone or a mobile with voice dialling may help.

If you have have limited arm movement or poor grip click here to see the list of useful features that can help.

if you have poor mobility click here to see the list of useful features that can help with this.

Limited arm movement or poor grip

Arthritis can make holding the phone to the ear painful or even impossible. Stiff fingers or a hand tremor can make it difficult to use the tiny controls on many phones. Mobiles are also easily dropped. But there are some useful features to look for.

Large dialling keys
Key feel
Easy-grip handset
‘Hands free’ speaker phones
Memory dialling
Pre-dial
Voice-activated dialling
Secure seating of handset
Non-slip base

Large dialling keys

‘Big button’ phones have large keys which are easy to press (see other sections of the report which show photos of the BT big-button freestyle; Binatone Big Button Combo and BT Big Button Plus).

Key feel

IKeys which have a reassuringly positive response when pressed are better than than ones with a ‘spongy’ action. Keys which sit above or below rather than flush with the surrounding surface can also help ensure the wrong key isn’t pressed accidentally.

Easy-grip handset

Arthritis in the fingers or wrist can make holding the phone painful. A handset that’s comfortable, light in weight but not too small will be easier to grip. Some mobiles have a rubber grip or a shock-resistant case. If gripping is really difficult, a corded phone with the keys on the base may be easiest.

‘Hands free’ speaker phones

Siemens A55 Cable & Wireless CWP530

Two speaker phones leaving your hands free: the Siemens A55 (left) and the Cable & Wieless CWP530 (right)

If arthritis in your shoulder or elbow makes holding the handset painful (especially on longer calls) a hands-free phone will let you dial and then hold a conversation with the handset on its rest (you hear your caller over a loudspeaker built into the phone). These are fairly easy to find in shops. Some mobiles also have a built-in hands-free speaker. But in either case check that it’s loud enough for you to hear clearly. Hands-free kits incorporating a lightweight earpiece and microphone are widely available for mobile phones and some fixed-line phones let you plug in a lightweight headset (see section on accessories for more information).

If you have a computer with a microphone and loudspeaker you can add software to use it as a telephone, using the computer keyboard for dialling, which may be easier than using a phone keypad (see Useful contacts for sources of information).

One-touch memory dialling

On a home phone, being able to dial a regularly-used or emergency contact number by pressing just one key can be a big help. Make sure there are enough memories for storing all the numbers you are likely to want. For more about this section on useful features if you have poor sight.

A few mobiles (like the Nokia 7700) have a touch screen where you can ring someone just by touching their name.

Pre-dial

If stiff fingers make dialling difficult, pre-dial lets you enter the number you want in your own time, check it on the phone’s display and then press the ‘call’ button. A corded phone with pre-dial (see section on useful features if your sight is poor) will probably be easiest to hold.

Voice-activated dialling

Some mobile phones have this feature - once set up, it lets you dial someone simply by speaking their name into the phone. Unfortunately this feature is rarely found on fixed-line phones.

Secure seating of handset

Check when choosing that the handset sits easily and correctly back on its rest after a call – especially if you go for wall-mounting. With some phones it’s too easy to leave the handset ‘off the hook’ accidentally - disrupting incoming calls and (on cordless models) running down the battery. Some cordless phones beep when you replace the handset correctly.

Non-slip base

Non-slip feet will help stop the base sliding around when you’re dialling or stretching the handset cord.

Poor mobility

If you find it difficult to get to the phone before a caller rings off, an extra phone or phones around your home may help. You can usually have up to four separate items of equipment (phone, fax machine etc) on one line - with more, the phones may not ring properly and you will need an extension booster, see section on accessories.



I a wheelchair user using a mobile

If you have impaired mobility a phone you can carry around with you may help

Cordless or mobile

A cordless phone lets you carry the handset around so you always have it with you (though you need to return it to its base each day for long enough to recharge its battery). A mobile phone is also an option, but calls usually cost more.

Answering machine

An answering machine or a voicemail answering service (such as 1571) is an alternative to trying to get to the phone in time. For more about these see section on answering machines . The 1471 service simply tells you the number of the person who called you last. A few phones have a button which dials 1471 or 1571 for you.

Extra sockets

Your phone service provider can install sockets for extra phones (there will be a charge for this), but provided you already have one ‘master’ phone socket, you or a helper could do the job yourself. Parts are available from DIY stores and phone shops. A long extension lead which just runs round the floor is even easier, but there may be a risk of tripping over it.

 

Report Contents

Introduction

Telephones

Other equipment

Buying a phone & phone services

Useful contacts

 

Fixed line Operators

Mobile Operators

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