Developed by US company Ultratec and picked up by Australia-based non-profit Conexu Foundation, a braille phone is being trialled in Australia through five deaf and blind people in NSW, Victoria and Queensland.
Dubbed CapTel (captioned telephone), the handset packs a braille display, allowing people who are deaf and have low/no vision to speak on the phone and read the response.
Five deafblind people in Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland have been provided with a CapTel handset and braille display, costing approximately $3300, as well as training and ongoing outreach support by Conexu.
Conexu Chief Strategy Officer Rachel McKay said the trial aimed to prove that braille CapTel could be delivered effectively and improve quality-of-life.
The six-month trial was launched in Sydney today by the Federal Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Communications Paul Fletcher. Victorian woman Michelle Stevens became the first deafblind Australian to make a telephone call.
Ms Stevens had an historic chat with her sister Carol using the CapTel for the first time in the world. Ms Stevens, whose vision was damaged when she was born prematurely and her hearing lost due to chronic ear infections, said it’s very exciting.
“Having phone conversations with friends and calling my university – using my voice – will be fantastic,” Ms Stevens said.
“The deafblind community will find it really valuable, especially the many older blind people who are losing their hearing; I think it will make a huge difference to their lives and save a lot of time.”
[Note: The above image is for representational purpose only and doesn’t depict the CapTel being trialled in the US or Australia.]
