This post the third in a three-part series. We thank BELL for being our 2020 Corporate and Presenting Sponsor!
Recognizing there are many types of abilities, Bell Canada’s Accessibility Services Centre gives options for what type of accessibility services might benefit you based on your needs. People living with effects of brain injury may be particularly interested in their cognitive accessibility features, listed below.
Cognitive Accessibility Features:
Cognitive accessibility features help people with cognitive challenges, such as brain injury, navigate their phones. Many of these are built-in features already included with most smartphones, such as the ability to set alerts and reminders on your phone, use voice control and customize contacts with pictures and ringtones.
Alerts and reminders: set alerts, voice notes and text reminders to help you remember important tasks and details.
Guided controls: customize notifications, use web readers and set touch functions.
Assisted reading and writing: use predictive text and voice control to write messages. Have emails, messages and web pages read out loud to you.
Customize contacts: add pictures and ringtones to each contact on your contact list to help you recognize names and numbers.
Read more about Cognitive Accessibility Features, HERE.
Our Community Connections Coordinator, Isabelle, can help you understand how to use your phone and other technology. Contact her at: isabelle@bist.ca OR 437-241-6751.
Other accessibility categories listed in the Bell Accessibility Centre include:
Physical (Mobility and Dexterity)
These features allow people with mobility challenges to access their phones. Options include:
Voice control: allows users to use their voice to do things like make calls, use the Internet etc.
Call management: options such as speed-dial, automatic redials and automatically answering calls using the speakerphone or headset.
Assistive devices: Access your smartphone using tecla-e, a hands-free portable device. Bell has a special offer for customers with physical accessibility needs. Read more about tecla-e, HERE.
Read more about mobility and dexterity features, HERE.
Other accessibility features include:
Speech, Read More, HERE
Vision, Read More, HERE
Hearing, Read More HERE
What Type of Phone Do you Prefer?
Choosing a smart phone is a subjective process, what you prefer is largely due to personal taste. Bell breaks down the built-in accessibility features of each smartphone device to allow you to research the accessibility options you need based on the type of operating system the phone has:
Do you have questions?
Contact Bell Canada’s Accessibility Centre: 1-866-310-BELL (2355); TTY: 1-800-268-9242; EMAIL: accessible@bell.ca
You can also contact BIST’s Community Connections Coordinator, Isabelle, can help you understand how to use your phone and other technology. Contact her at: isabelle@bist.ca OR 437-241-6751.
Bell Canada presented a webinar on their Accessibility Services this summer. You can watch it, below:
FEATURED IMAGE: Accessible smartphones available from Bell Canada