Phone for the hard of hearing

Vodacom has launched the Bellen A100 handset in South Africa, as an innovative solution for ‘hard of hearing’ mobile users. It is not only useful for people with hearing difficulties, but also makes clear communication possible for people who work in noisy environments.
Vodacom on Friday launched the Bellen A100 handset which is aimed at improving hearing ability for mobile users who cannot hear clearly. n nThis device is designed for people who are ‘hard of hearing,’ which means people who have hearing difficulties.  The A100 also makes clear communication possible for people who work in noisy environments.
Created with cutting-edge technology, the Bellen A100 provides users who are hard of hearing with the ability to make and take calls using bone conductor technology.  When placed on facial bones close to the ear, the bone conduction feature sends sound waves through the facial bones to the inner ear in a safe and efficient manner enabling crystal clear communication.  The Bellen A100 also boasts “T”-function compatibility for people with hearing aids.
Slim and stylish, yet technically complete, the A100 with its clear colour screen display, as well as the bone conduction function, SOS button, desktop charger and flashlight makes it a unique mobile phone for this market segment. The Bellen A100 easily integrates with any hearing aid which supports telecoil function, sending the sound directly from their phone to the hearing aid. This device is also suitable for the elderly and people who find it difficult to use standard cellphones with small buttons. n n“Today we celebrate the International Day of People with Disabilities, a day which aims to promote an understanding of disability issues and in which support is mobilised for the dignity, rights and well-being of people with disabilities. Some of these rights include basic access to communication. We are pleased that we are currently playing a leading role in the delivery of telecommunications solutions for people with specific needs. In addition to the range of speaking phones for the blind, we recently launched the Zooms phone for the partially sighted and now we are launching the Bellen A100 for the hard of hearing. We’re looking forward to launching more solutions to address other categories of people with specific needs,” said Shameel Joosub, Managing Director of Vodacom South Africa.n n“The launch of the Bellen A100 is in line with our commitment to being a caring company. Not only are we committed to launching products and services that are aimed at improving the lives of people with specific needs, we also invest in improving their lives through investments in the Vodacom Foundation. Since the launch of the Vodacom Foundation in 1999, the company has invested more than R500-million in sustainable projects that help alleviate social deprivation. In particular, our support has resulted in more than 8 000 cataract operations being performed on elderly people since 2004,” Joosub concluded. nThe handset is available nationwide from Vodashops, Vodacom4U stores and Vodacom Direct. n nFor more information, customers can call the Vodacom Specific Needs Contact Centre on 12580 (free from a Vodacom cellphone), or 082 12580 from any other phone; send an SMS to 12580 (free SMS); send an email to 12580@vodacom.co.za or visit www.vodacom.co.za