Telecommunications regulator Offcom has made a decision that is affecting blind cellphone users around the UK. At one time, if a blind and partially sighted person was registered with the Free Directory Enquiries service and they needed a number, all they had to do was to pick up their trusty handset, dial 195, give the person at the other end a unique ID code and then request the number. The person on the end would then dutifully look up the number and give it to the caller. The best part was that this was free to blind and partially sighted users – not any more. If you dial 195 from, let's say my Vodafone Pay Monthly handset, it will go through to 118 888, and I will receive the number without having to tell the operative my PIN code. However, it will appear on my bill as a chargeable call. The reason for this is that Offcom want the mobile networks in the UK to use 118 888 and not 195, because apparently 192 and 197 directory enquiries is no longer. I knew that but come on – blind users can't suddenly use a telephone directory easily, so why has free directories been discontinued so suddenly? This sure beats me.
............ and that concludes our rant for today. We hope you enjoyed it as much as we did.
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