A new mobile phone can be used by a completely blind person just as fully and effectively as someone who is sighted, its makers say.

RAZ Mobility, a provider of mobile assistive technology, says its Lucia phone is an easy-to-use basic mobile phone specifically designed to address the needs of people who are blind, vision impaired or hard of hearing.

It features large tactile buttons in different colors and shapes, a voice guide to inform the user of what is on the screen and what buttons have been pressed, an ergonomic design and an SOS button. It also has a large, high-contrast display with enlarged text, as well as the option to amplify the audio with the press of a button. Lucia is an unlocked 3G mobile phone and RAZ Mobility says an unlocked 4G phone will be available in the future.

RAZ Mobility CEO Robert Felgar said, “These features offer individuals with vision loss the ability to access every function of the phone with unparalleled ease. Lucia is perfect for seniors, such as blind veterans, and others who want accessibility combined with simplicity.” RAZ Mobility partnered with Swiss phone manufacturer Lucia to offer the phone the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Nermin Selimic, COO at RAZ Mobility said, “We realised there was no easy-to-use mobile phone available for individuals who are blind or low vision. In its 2018 report to Congress on accessibility, the Federal Communications Commission similarly concluded that there has been ‘little, if any, progress’ with respect to the ‘accessibility of non-smartphones.’ The Lucia phone is designed to fill this gap. In addition to consumers, many mobile providers worldwide have expressed interest in offering an accessible basic mobile phone to their customers.”