Bangkok, Kartunet – Recognizing the importance of communication for the deaf or hearing-impaired, especially in emergency situations requiring assistance, Thailand's telephone organization (TOT) has developed a service called “Telephone for the Deaf.” This service is provided by TOT at public telephone facilities spread throughout Thailand. There are a total of 500 public telephone units, 10 of which are located in Bangkok.
Simply put, the Telephone for the Deaf is like a regular public telephone, but it is equipped with a keyboard for typing messages that can be used by the deaf. To use this service, a deaf person can go to a public telephone that has been fitted with an additional keyboard. Pick up the receiver, insert a TOT subscriber phone card, and dial the destination number.
The recipient of the call must use a mobile phone or a special telephone provided by TOT with an additional keyboard. Messages can then be sent to the recipient without character limits for only 3 Baht per call. Once finished, replace the receiver and retrieve the card. TOT hopes that this service will help individuals with hearing impairments communicate using facilities available in the community, not just at home.
For the interface language, the Telephone for the Deaf can be set to either Thai or English. What about Indonesia? Perhaps this facility is considered simple and has already been superseded by the widespread adoption of increasingly "popular" mobile phones. However, public facilities accessible to everyone, including the deaf, are still necessary. Especially in critical situations, it would still enable a deaf person to request help via a public telephone.
Hopefully, this innovation from the Land of Smiles can one day be implemented in Indonesia.(DPM) source: Global Accessibility