Vodaphone versus a deaf person (DISABILITY DISCRIMINATION)

[BenjaminBrown]

Dear Zooch,

I understand you have recently issued court papers against Vodafone UK for discrimination under the Disability Discrimination Act. I understand that you feel Vodafone is acting in a discriminatory way towards deaf and hard of hearing people. Whilst the details of your grievance are not clear at this stage, I would like to reassure you that there are several solutions which may be suitable for people who are deaf or hard of hearing.

There are features on most mobile phones which make them easier for people who are hard of hearing to use. Most phones have adjustable speaker volumes, vibrating alerts and the ability to send and receive text messages and emails.

Further, customers who are deaf can contact us via the Text Relay service. Our customer services colleagues are familiar with receiving operator-assisted calls.

For customers who are deaf or hard of hearing and do not require a high volume of voice minutes, we have a number of options available. In the first instance, we recommend using a pay-as-you-go price plan. If a customer chooses this option, they can spend £5 a month and text as much as they want on weekday evenings. For £10 a month they can text as much as they want in the evenings and at weekends, and for £30 a month a customer can text as much as they like any time of the day or night. A fair usage policy applies with all pay-as-you-go price plans.

Another good option is a 12 month SIM-only contract for £10 per month. This would have only a small amount of voice minutes included – 300 - and would have unlimited text messages. Again, a fair usage policy applies to all contract price plans. As email is often a useful feature for deaf or hard of hearing customers, Vodafone Mobile Internet can be added to this plan for an additional £5 per month.

If the customer wants a new handset and a contract we offer the following. A 24 month contract for £20 per month that includes a low volume of voice minutes – 300 - unlimited text messages and 500MB data allowance. This price plan is available on a wide range of handsets.

I hope this information is of some use to you. Please contact me directly if I can be of any further assistance.

Kind regards,

Ben Brown

Corporate Responsibility

Vodafone UK

[email protected]

[BenjaminBrown]

Dear Zooch,

Thank you for your patience. We have now received the details of your claim and will be responding through the appropriate channels in due course.

Regards,

Ben Brown

Corporate Responsibility

Vodafone UK