Communications regulator Ofcom has proposed new measures for phone users with hearing and/or speech impairments.
Ofcom said that disabled consumers would benefit from ‘text relay’ and another feature that will allow users to interject during a conversation.
‘Text relay’ involves a relay assistant converting typed messages into speech and then back again. By law, Ofcom said, communications providers must provide ‘text relay’ services for disabled consumers.
The watchdog said its study had shown that the conversations can be slow and sometimes fail to flow naturally. To overcome the problem, Ofcom proposes to upgrade services including a new feature that will allow users to interject during a conversation, instead of having to wait until the end of a message.
Ofcom is proposing the introduction of simultaneous two-way speech with "live captions" and use of mainstream equipment as well.
Recognising the benefits that video relay could offer some disabled consumers, particularly British Sign Language (BSL) users with low levels of literacy, Ofcom is also proposing the introduction of video relay on a restricted basis.
Ofcom Consumer Group Director Claudio Pollack said although the wide availability and use of broadband and mobile text services has provided greater opportunities for disabled people to communicate, people with hearing and/or speech impairments continue to meet barriers when using voice telephony.
"The proposed measures outlined today aim to reduce these barriers by allowing conversations to flow naturally in real time," Pollack added.
