Back in November last year, deaf would-be iPhone users highlighted the lack of a data-only AT&T plan for the Apple cellphone, after the carrier began to sell a voice-only contract. Now, a mere five months later, AT&T have released details of their Text Accessibility Plan (TAP), designed for those who are deaf, hard of hearing, have a speech disability and/or hearing loss. Apparently created “with input from the community”, the new tariff costs $40 a month.
That $40 gets you the same unlimited data and visual voice mail as the standard iPhone contracts, together with unlimited SMS messaging. Voice calls are charged at $0.40 a minute, presumably for both incoming and outgoing calls. A two-year contract is also required.
However, AT&T are requiring customers to file disability certification forms [pdf link] before they can sign up to the plan. That includes getting official confirmation of the hearing or speech problem from a professional the carrier deems appropriate:
“A certifying agent must be a qualified health care professional, audiologist or hearing health professional, speech or language therapist/specialist, representative of an institution, agency or non-profit 510c3 organization actively engaged in work in the disability area specified by the applicant. A certifying agent must have direct knowledge or documentation of the applicant’s condition or functional limitation” AT&T disability certification form
Users activate their iPhone in the normal way, then send off the certification form. AT&T review it, and then – assuming the customer qualifies – switch them to the TAP plan. Now I’m not deaf and as such I’ve not had to fill out such a form before, but it all looks very complicated; I’d appreciate someone letting me know in the comments whether this is par for the course or been made unusually difficult by AT&T.
i am deaf and would like to have sprint blackberry with buzz (pager)
I am deaf and find this very absurd.
It IS absurd. Why should the Deaf applicant have to apply/sign a contract for their phone WITH voice plan, then PAY prorated UNTIL they get around to processing the disability application? I don’t think it’s fair at all. Let the Deaf person apply, THEN get approved and sign the contract. That’s “true” equal access. And really, $40/month is a little higher than I would expect, seeing as how a hearing person can usually get a carrier’s minimum voice plan for as low as $29.99/month if they’re “light” users. What is the Deaf person is a “light” user? They all pay $40 across the board just because they’re Deaf? Sure people are going to say to be lucky they even HAVE a disability plan, but really, isn’t that the attitude of times gone by when this world said to the physically impaired, “Be lucky we HAVE a table for you in this restaurant that you can fit your wheelchair under, so don’t complain if the only table that you can access is the one right outside the kitchen door………”
Why do you have to be deaf to get this plan. I’m not deaf and I can’t get this plan. AT&T is taking advantage of non-deaf people by charging them for phone usage even though they may not want it.