Software has been developed that will enable deaf people to have real-time text conversations using a mobile phone. The Royal National Institute for Deaf people (RNID), who created the software, claim however that some mobile operators have yet to fulfil a legal obligation to make their services accessible, and with only Vodafone having a relay service that uses the technology.
The charity says it will dramatically improve the ability of deaf, hard of hearing and hearing people to communicate in real-time.
The application can be used on any modern mobile handset, and allows character by character text communication of unlimited duration.
Compatible handsets include Nokia Communicator 9210, 9300 and 9500; Nokia 6822; and Sony Ericsson P900 and P910.