Consumer Accessibility

[teriya]

Consumer Accessibility Problems - I experienced a couple issues with banks that didn't go well because I'm not able to use my hands to make and receive calls and my weak voice prevents me from speaking over the phone.

One bank emailed a notice to call them about suspicious charges to a bank issued credit card. The charges were donations that had previously been made, and I used the bank's message service to inform the bank the charges weren't fraudulent. Unfortunately the bank's message service isn't used by the fraud alert service and the bank blocked credit card payments for 10 days. Another bank blocked online access to an account. They didn't explain why access was blocked and added a notice to contact them by phone. The blockage prevented a funds transfer.

I informed both banks of my inability to operate or speak over a phone, and my inability to use FCC TTY Relay services. Hopefully, there's assistive technology for people with our disabilities, to obtain the accessibility and services we need from consumer businesses.

 

[Tomswife]

This is a very important topic. I am not knowledgeable in this area, but I did find that the National Disability Institute was formed to help disabled people with financial management.

Nationaldisabilityinstitute dot org

"We are the first national nonprofit committed exclusively to financial education & empowerment for people with disabilities."

They have an interesting website with resources.

Phone
(202) 296-2040

 

[lgelb]

If you are able to use head movement to control your mobile phone, a capability built into modern models, that you can activate in Settings, you can generate speech using basic free or "smarter" text-to-speech apps. There are also head mice if you use a laptop, and eye gaze platforms. Any of these can help you generate speech and written output, once you use a virtual keyboard (like an on-screen typewriter) with an appropriate app. If there is any muscle you can use reliably, you can use an ability switch to "type," and if that muscle is in your lips, tongue or chin, you can use a Tetramouse just like a regular mouse.

Working with voice menus can be difficult, but there is usually a way to find someone to text with if you go into customer service through Twitter or a web site.

Your state assistive technology bureau or clinic should have loaners you can try or advice on what equipment would work best for you. There is also a lot of information on line. If you can share what device and operating system you want to generate speech and text with, we could give more concrete recommendations for apps and interfaces.

If your voice is weak but you are still talking, a voice amplifier may be of temporary use.

 

[teriya]

Thanks Igelb. Fortunately, I still have good head movement. The VA provided a Winslate laptop with Smartbox Grid 3, a HeadMouse and Dragger (dwell/clip app). The laptop is connected to a mobile phone by Bluetooth and I use the on screen keyboard. I can send and receive text messages and dial phone numbers from the laptop. I can't press the phone external speaker button to listen to the phone audio, and my voice and breathing are too weak to speak.

If there's an assitive technology tool that supports connecting to 711 and TTY numbers, AND allows me to send and receive messages with my laptop, that would be great.

 

[lgelb]

I'm not sure about the Windows situation, but on Mac laptops, by pairing with an iPhone, Facetime calls can be answered with a tap and on a default "speaker on" setting, and integrated with TTY as built in. I would think Windows could function similarly.