In a press release today, Odin Mobile has announced the first mobile service designed for the sole purpose of improving wireless accessibility for the visually impaired in the US. Odin Mobile is a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) on the T-Mobile network.
The company plans to offer a full cell phone service for the, “visually impaired, including innovative accessible handsets, rate plans for every budget, as well as a unique customer service experience designed to address the needs of its customers.”
“Everyone should be able to experience all of the wonderful things that go along with mobile technology, and we’re thrilled to see Odin Mobile stepping up in this way to help make sure that they can,” said Doug Chartier , senior vice president of MVNO, partner brands and national accounts for T-Mobile US, Inc.
Odin Mobile is looking to launch a wide variety of accessible handset in their latest mobile device – RAY. According to the company RAY provides:
A unique user interface built from the ground up for eye-free operation. This unique device offers users a range of capabilities, such as calling and SMS, contact list services, calendar, GPS, advanced WEB remote assistance, voice recorder, emergency services and more. In addition, the RAY is a fantastic device for accessing audio books, newspapers and magazines with one single user interface across all services and applications for unprecedented simplicity and ease of use.
Other features include:
- Making and receiving calls
- Managing Contacts
- Complete call history
- Caller ID
- Text messages through text-to-speech technology
- Access to audio books, newspapers and magazines
- Calendar
- Money recognition
- Color recognition
“The RAY is an amazing device that fills an important need in the blind community. It offers the visually impaired the benefits of a smart device through a unique user interface that makes it easy to use by the tech savvy and reluctant adopters of advanced technology alike,” said Robert Felgar , general manager of Odin Mobile. “We are extremely excited to collaborate with project RAY to improve the lives of the visually impaired.”
