Filed under: iPhone
AT&T puts the kibosh on voice-free iPhone plans for the deaf
Deafmac.org reports that AT&T has withdrawn its $27.99/month no-voice plan, stating the offer was generated in error. AT&T writes that although they offer many options for the deaf community, they will not offer an iPhone plan. After Deafmac originally posted about the deal, AT&T was apparently contacted by enough hearing customers that they reconsidered their offer
What this says to me is that there are people who love the EDGE connectivity the iPhone offers but who just don't need to use their iPhones as a voice device. Will Apple and AT&T step up to the plate and extend the philosophy of Universal Access to at least the hearing impaired community or is too much revenue on the line?
Thanks, Nick.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Rob said 2:40PM on 11-29-2007
Erica,
Are you hard of hearing or deaf?
I am a hard of hearing IT professional with Mac certifications, thanks for turning me onto this deafmac.org blog!!
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Ryan said 2:53PM on 11-29-2007
I don't think that it is fair that I have to pay a "tax" (tax=voice portion of iPhone service plan) when I cannot even use the voice service, if I want to use the iPhone.
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Carl said 3:02PM on 11-29-2007
My guess is since Apple gets $X amount per month for each subscriber, AT&T can't afford to allow people to select cheaper plans.
Apple is probably making the same amount of money from AT&T no matter what plan the customer has, and AT&T's business plan was based on the standard iPhone calling plan so if they start offering cheaper service... AT&T makes nothing and Apple continues to make a killing.
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Richard said 3:03PM on 11-29-2007
Just when I thought Apple was not evil ...they kick the deaf in the teeth.
Way to go Steve!
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jgenzuk said 7:56PM on 11-29-2007
I don't think this is really Apple being evil. I question how much input they have on something like this anyways.
Matthew Waters said 5:32PM on 11-29-2007
Apple aren't kicking the deaf community in the teeth, AT&T are.
Barry said 3:05PM on 11-29-2007
Thanks for posting about this, Erica.
There is a fair share of deaf mac devotees, myself included, out there who have an iPhone already, and many more who would pick one up if not for the lack of a data-only plan from AT&T.
It's strange that the iPhone, despite its many innovative features, remains the ONLY phone not to offer deaf/hard of hearing consumers a data only plan. Yep, the ONLY one. Every other phone on the market from Sprint, Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT&T (sans iPhone) have one form or another of a "deaf plan", "data only plan" or a "modified voice plan with 0 minutes".
When the Sidekick came out, it took T-Mobile less than a month to roll out their data only plan when we pointed out that voice minutes were useless for us.
And it's not like AT&T has to worry about abuse, because AT&T's TAP plan (their version of the data only plan for all their other offerings) requires several forms to be filled out and signed by a doctor/audiologist (all the other wireless companies have no such requirement) to prove our hearing loss and inability to use the voice component of the phone plans.
Wake up and smell the coffee, AT&T - for a supposedly innovative company, you're sure behind the times.
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Bala said 3:11PM on 11-29-2007
I might as well add my sad story of "iPhone exclusiveness" here. My employer has a "Foundation Account" with AT&T which provides me with 9% discount on monthly bill and other "Premier" technical support goodness.
But guess what? As soon as I switched to an iPhone plan, the discounts stopped. When I called them up to find out why, they simply said "Apple and AT&T have worked out a deal wherein AT&T is not allowed to provide any special discounts on monthly bills, period".
I wonder what other "hidden costs" do AT&T and Apple have conjured together on their grand iPhone plan?
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David Owens said 3:23PM on 11-29-2007
Huh? speak up.
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Mike said 3:29PM on 11-29-2007
To be fair, Apple does offer a TTY adapter for the iPhone. It's not like deaf customers can't use phones. The $20 adapter will make the iPhone fully functional for deaf users.
I feel odd speaking on AT&T's defense, but for once they're sort of in the right. If there were no adapter, I'd say it was wrong of them to force deaf customers to get a voice plan, but seeing as there is one, I don't see anything wrong with it. It's their company, they can bundle the plans however they see fit.
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Mike said 3:31PM on 11-29-2007
Oops, I meant TTY, I don't know why I typed TTD. This new comment system is great but it'd be better if I could edit my posts (even if the option was only available for a few minutes after posting -- like Digg).
Mike said 3:32PM on 11-29-2007
Man I must be double stupid today, as I did use "TTY" in my original post.
Amy said 9:05PM on 11-29-2007
Mike...
Did you realize it is absurd to use TTY adapter on iPhone since iPhone already have a text messaging capabilities, therefore there is NO need for a TTY!
Come on! TTY is so obsolete - and the last time I have used my TTY machine was four years ago when alphanumberic two-way pagers was available.
People at iPhone and AT&T did ask the deaf consumers what kind of features we would like to see in iPhone, and most of the recommendations were ignored, and it was Apple and AT&T's decision to add an adapter for TTYs!
One most significant recommendation that was ignored is lack of iChat, therefore the stupidest compromise was that AT&T is to sell their TTY adapters and hoping that Deaf people who buy AT&T TTYs and Apple iPhones to communicate with other deaf people.
Can you imagine us wearing iPhone on our holsters and lugging TTYs with us??? Come on!!!!
Mike, do the research first by asking Deaf people before jumping into AT&T's defense.
Joan said 3:51PM on 11-29-2007
Mike - The point of a mobile device is for it to be mobile. I don't know anyone who lugs around their TTY to hook up with the iPhone when they want to make a relay or direct call to someone else that also has a TTY. That's not accessible - it's obsolete, with the existence of email, instant messaging, and text messaging. There aren't multiple TTYs available at any location. The TTY adapter is almost irrelevant to today's accessibility needs. AT&T needs to do more.
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Roger said 3:58PM on 11-29-2007
Heck, I'm still waiting for a cellphone or cordless phone that works properly with my hearing aid.
The T-Coil or telephone setting is designed to be turned on when you put the ear next to a handset. Unfortunately, because of the digital technologies in cell and cordless phones, the signal warbles or buzzes.
The cure is to either turn the volume down on the hearing aid and not use the T-Coil setting or take the hearing aid out and use the earphones.
There are devices out there that allow you to use your hearing aid and T-Coil setting as a wireless headset of sorts but they are at least $80 and I'm not sure if they work with the iPhone.
(also a HOH IT professional)
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Barry said 4:29PM on 11-29-2007
Unfortunately, Apple also filed (and got) an exemption from the FCC to make iPhones compatible with hearing aids.
Adding insult to injury, no?
Strangely enough, Apple included v.18 (TTY standard) on the iPhones - so, conceivably, if someone wrote a TTY software for the iPhone, it would work with other TTYs, but like Joan pointed out above, TTY use has been in a long downward spiral since the advent of e-mail, IM, text messaging, and pagers. I would know, because I have not touched a TTY for more than 8 years, and the same is true for most of my friends.
Rob said 4:54PM on 11-29-2007
Glad to hear there's more of us.
http://www.harris-wireless.com/catalog-hw/product_info.php?cPath=1141&products_id=17829&osCsid=0e
Have you checked this out? I have an ITE aid, but it sounds like you have an OTE model with t-coil... I've been wanting to hear about this product though..
sarmis l said 5:44PM on 11-29-2007
I really think someone should be made responsible in
Washington or at Apple or at ATT for not offering a plan for
the iPhone for texting.
I think the American Disabilities Act needs to be
revamped and make Apple accountable JUST like
manufacturers in Europe are accountable for the birth
to the end of their product, meaning they have to
provide a recycling option for what they create. Same
with Apple, they have to provide the text only option
as a means to the ADA act.
It is really inconsiderate to see Apple and ATT
worshiping their dollar and guarding their profit
margin.
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starkruzr said 6:12PM on 11-29-2007
So renegotiate with Apple so they only get a percentage of the 27.99 data plan rather a flat fee. Is this really that hard?
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Abscissa said 5:57PM on 11-29-2007
When dealing with Apple, yes, it is.