Vodacom’s new BlindShell Classic 2 combines smartphone and feature phone tech to empower visually impaired users.
Being blind or visually impaired does not mean you should be excluded from the world of digital communication. If anything, visual impairment makes connection and participation even more important. In keeping with our commitment to accessibility, Vodacom has developed a feature phone, equipped with smartphone apps, specifically designed for people with low, limited or no vision.
Meet the BlindShell Classic 2: The Best of Both Worlds
It’s called the BlindShell Classic 2, and it combines the accessibility of a button phone – with its tactile number keypad – with the apps and features you’d usually find on a touchscreen smartphone. Many people with visual impairment prefer to use a phone with buttons you can feel, but that typically means they can’t use apps like WhatsApp or YouTube.
Try it. Pick up your touchscreen smartphone, close your eyes, and try to get it to work the way you want. It’s impossible – and that’s the frustration that blind and visually impaired people live with every day.
The BlindShell Classic 2 solves those issues, addressing affordability and accessibility challenges while creating a future of inclusive digitality. As Vodacom Group CEO Shameel Joosub explained at the launch: “True inclusion begins with understanding the daily realities of persons with disabilities and co-creating solutions that respond to their needs.”
Smart Hardware Designed for Independence
The BlindShell Classic 2 provides this through the device’s unique hardware. The built-in BlindShell screen reader enables you to navigate Android apps easily, while the large tactile keypad makes it easy to use, and the voice control system lets you operate the phone with just your voice and a few simple commands.
NFC Tagging: Label Your World
A feature you’ll love is NFC (Near Field Communication) tagging, which enables visually impaired users to label physical items with text or audio messages using small, programmable NFC ‘stickers’ to easily distinguish between objects. Once you’ve tagged your toothpaste and conditioner, for example, you can tap them to the NFC reader on the back of the phone, and the BlindShell Classic 2 will tell you which is which.
Stay Connected with Audio Alerts and Voice Control
The hardware also includes a loudspeaker that alerts the user to new messages and phone calls, ensuring connectivity. The loudspeaker’s uses don’t end there; the BlindShell Classic 2 can read audio and textbooks, as well as play FM radio. It also supports a voice-controlled interface, empowering visually impaired users to use their phones without assistance.
The BlindShell Classic 2 features a keyboard with large tactile buttons explicitly designed for blind people, and an SOS button that alerts preloaded emergency contacts when activated.
Apps That Adapt to Your Needs
Despite the phone’s simplified design, BlindShell hosts an extensive catalogue of apps that can be easily downloaded to customise the phone to the user’s needs and preferences. These range from practical apps (like an e-wallet, browser and calendar) to fun apps (like chess and a dice roller) and assistive tools (magnifier, colour indicator, etc).
Built to Last: Battery Life and Accessories
The phone has 96 hours of battery life and comes with a USB-C charging cable and a charging cradle that keeps the phone in a safe spot when it’s not in use.
How to Get Your BlindShell Classic 2
Vodacom customers have access to the BlindShell Classic 2 through a 36-month contract, a 24-month contract or on prepaid. View it in our online store, or contact our Specific Needs team at 12580@vodacom.co.za to request a special deal and customised package.
