ATU634 – Blind Shell Mobile with Diane Ducharme and Bari Azman

Hi, this is Bari Azman and I am president of BlindShell USA.

Hi, this is Diane Ducharme and I am the senior program manager for BlindShell USA and this is your Assistive Technology Update.

Hello and welcome to your Assistive Technology Update, a weekly dose of information that keeps you up to date on the latest developments in the field of technology designed to assist individuals with disabilities and special needs. I’m your host, Josh Anderson with the Indata Project at Easterseals Crossroads in beautiful Indianapolis, Indiana. Welcome to episode 634 of Assistive Technology Update. It is scheduled to be released on July 21st, 2023.

On today’s show, we’re very excited to welcome Bari and Diane from BlindShell USA back to the show and they’re here to tell us all about BlindShell Mobile and how this program can help some individuals cover the cost of their cellular bill. As always, we thank you so much for listening. Don’t forget to reach out. You can always send us an email at tech@eastersealscrossroads.org. Call our listener line at (317) 721-7124 or leave a comment or a review on whatever podcast station you are listening to. But right now, let’s go ahead and get on with the show.

Listeners, I just wanted to let you know that we have our next Indata of full day training, AT 101: Tools and Apps for Everyday Living coming up on Thursday, July 27th. We’ll put a link down in the show notes so that you can go over and register, but you can also just go to eastersealstech.com, find full day trainings and register right there. We look forward to seeing you online for our next full day training on July 27th.

Listeners, sometime back we welcomed the folks from BlindShell USA on the show to tell us about their technology and how the BlindShell Classic 2 phone can help individuals with visual impairments access communication. Well, today we’re excited to welcome Diane and Bari back to the show to tell us about BlindShell Mobile and how it can help folks access wireless services, possibly for free. Diane, Bari, welcome back to the show.

Thank you so much, Josh. It’s great to be here.

Yeah, I am really excited to get into talking about this new service, but before we get into that, can you tell our listeners a little bit about yourselves?

Okay, I guess I will go first. This is Diane and I am the senior program manager for BlindShell USA and I have pretty much always worked in the field of blindness and low vision services and I started with BlindShell USA about two years ago and I really enjoy the job because I love when people, I call it their eureka moment when they discover that not only can they use a cell phone but they can use a cell phone for things that they never thought that they could as a blind person. So they’re able to communicate with friends and family and stay on top of the news and explore the internet and podcasts and everything and it’s just such an exciting job for me because I get to see the excitement that they experience as well.

Nice. Bari, what about you?

Yeah, so I was fortunate to get involved in the low vision blind community back in 2014 and what brought me to this incredible community was my father who is a low vision specialist optometrist and still practices out of the Baltimore, Maryland area. And so I had joined the family low vision practice, which, no pun intended, was a real eye-opener as far as what is going on today throughout the world pertaining to blindness. And literally one thing after the next brought me closer and closer to getting involved with the assistive technology and we were fortunate to get involved and establish a relationship with BlindShell early on and we realized that communication is front and center and no matter what type of disability someone may have, communication is key. And so we set out to form and create and build BlindShell USA through our flagship accessible cell phone the BlindShell Classic 2 and really establish a platform that allows individuals with sight loss to communicate freely and to be able to give them a choice how they want to communicate.

Awesome, awesome. Well, we’re very glad that you both decided to choose this career path because your passion definitely shows just in getting to talk to you. So as we get into everything and before we get into BlindShell Mobile, I think especially for folks who need a refresher or maybe haven’t heard the other show, tell us a little bit about the BlindShell Classic 2 and what sets it apart from other phones.

Blind Shell Classic 2 is an accessible cell phone with tactile buttons. So it does have a screen. The screen is for a display only, so you can’t mess anything up if you pick up your phone and touch the screen, that’s for just the display part. It has actual tactile buttons, a tactile keypad. The navigations are all tactile, everything is spoken out to you. So this is a phone that somebody who has just a minimal amount of sight loss can use. But it’s also a phone that if you have no sight, you can also use this phone. Because everything is spoken, it’s menu driven, so you use two bars in the middle to take you up and down through the menus. A tactile okay button, a tactile back button. And then you also have a designated SOS button on the back that you can program whoever you want with that.

You can also dictate to the phone and you can enter information doing the T9 way of text typing if that’s something you prefer as well. You can connect Bluetooth speakers, headphones, and keyboards to the BlindShell if you’re somebody who likes to use a keyboard to type your text messages and your emails. So it’s a phone that not only allows you to do your phone calls and your texting, but you can also do email, go on the web. It has YouTube, a podcast player, it has vision aids such as Aira, Be My Eyes, Amazon Alexa, Spotify, Google Lookout. It’s just packed with features.

And also we are really excited about the release of the WayAround app to the BlindShell Classic 2. I know people have been anxiously waiting for this app to come on board, and for those who don’t know, WayAround are tags that will allow you to label things. So it could be anything from a food item to your clothes to my best WayAround story that I ever heard was there is a rancher who has labeled all of his cattle with his WayAround tags. He is a blind rancher and all of his cows have a WayAround tag on them so he can identify his cattle. So you can use WayAround tags for anything and you can now use your WayAround tags with BlindShell.

Nice. And I really do love that it still has those tactile buttons. I must admit that’s something especially, oh, when I work with folks that maybe are a little older and experiencing vision loss, that is the number one thing they miss is those buttons. So that just makes a huge difference for folks. And I love that they can do more than just communication, but also they could just do communication if they like. So that’s really great to give them those kinds of choices.

Providing choices for individuals I think is paramount, because just like sight loss where everyone is at a different stage in that journey, we see communication in the same way. Sometimes people just want an accessible cell phone to make phone calls, then they progress to text messaging and then it comes to YouTube and then it’s email and the list goes on. So it’s these natural progressions that we are seeing and it’s about being able to give individuals those choices and how they want to go at their pace.

We’re finding that yes, it is a phone that is a great option for somebody who is maybe a senior who’s not really big into technology, but also the younger population of blind and sight impaired people are gravitating towards the BlindShell now as well just because they love the retro aspect of it and they love the simplicity of it. People aren’t necessarily giving up their smartphones for the BlindShell, they’re using the BlindShell in addition to their smartphones because they just love the simplicity of it. And as it’s all over the news, the flip phone is coming back. So this is a great option for anybody really because even if you don’t have a sight loss condition, you can mute the speech on the phone and it just becomes a standard cell phone.

Nice, nice. Very nice. I know I’ve definitely worked with it with some of the folks that we’ve worked with here at Crossroads and yeah, definitely they really do love it and it definitely works good. But the real reason that we have you on the show today is to talk about BlindShell Mobile. So let’s just start with what is it?

BlindShell Mobile is basically under the umbrella of BlindShell USA and it is a sub brand that was created in order to provide free monthly wireless service to individuals that qualify for this federally funded program. And it’s something that we’ve been wanting to offer and bring to the greater sight loss community for the longest time. It took a long time, literally had to move mountains to get to where we are today and to be able to create this offering.

BlindShell Mobile today is part of the ACP, which is the affordable connectivity program that provides eligible individuals across the United States and there are approximately 48 million households who are eligible to receive this federally funded program service. So it’s a monster program that has the opportunity to alleviate the burden and take away the expense of an additional monthly cell phone bill. And that’s what the purpose of BlindShell Mobile is. We do have plans to roll out our own prepaid plans in the near future. So it’s something to look out for, but today BlindShell Mobile powered by Easy Wireless is purely set up and devoted right now to the Affordable Connectivity Program.

Awesome. And you kind of mentioned that it’s for folks who qualify, how do individuals qualify for the program?

So there are many ways how an individual can qualify for the Affordable Connectivity Program. The first is that if a household falls within the range of 200% of the poverty level, I believe that is the appropriate terminology, then they are qualified to receive the service. Now 200% of the federal poverty level sounds like this crazy low number, that it’s so low that maybe someone’s going to think like, well, I’ll never be able to qualify. No, it’s not a crazy number. If it’s a single household that earns below $29,160 that is an entry point, that is eligibility right there. Now most individuals do also qualify for the program because they are already receiving some level or benefit already. And so if someone is on Medicaid, SSI, SNAP, WIC, if they’ve received a Pell Grant in the current award year, veterans and veterans pension as well, those are the key eligibility criteria for people to benefit from this program.

Very cool. So it sounds like a lot of people would actually be able to qualify and it seems like much like many programs they probably don’t even know that’s out there. So that’s a great benefit and we’re so glad that you guys are involved in it. What all does the service include?

So the service comes with unlimited data, talk, and text and you also get a free SIM card. So it’s a complete package deal as far as your wireless data, talk, text and you get that SIM card as well. The process is very simple. You can go to blindshellmobile.com, B-L-I-N-D-S-H-E-L-L Mobile, M-O-B-I-L-E.com and you can see all the eligibility requirements there. You can also click qualify and that will start the process and take you through the application.

The program that we offer is available today across 47 states in the United States. The three states that are currently not in the program are California, Louisiana, and Alaska. However, I want to put a little asterisk there. We do intend to bring on California and Louisiana in the near future. So stay tuned if you are a resident of those states. But again, residents across 47 states qualifying for the program. They basically, you start off, you enter your email address, you enter your zip code, it will then tell you that service hopefully is available in your area. You hit continue as far as you hit select plan, and then you’ll fill out the form and choose if you are a participant in Medicaid or SSI, STI, SNAP, and so on.

Sometimes in some instances you may have to upload a proof of benefit, which could mean getting a screenshot or grabbing a photo of your existing benefits, uploading and attaching it and hitting submit. Now the process to receive approval is like 20 or 30 seconds later. If everything lines up with the national verifier and the databases, then you’re going to get that approval within 20 to 30 seconds and then you’re going to receive your SIM card in the mail within three to five business days.

So it’s a pretty seamless process. We are seeing many, many people signing up every single day since we launched the program and people are just really amazed that this program exists. Most people have not heard about this. And so again, it’s just really exciting as today we’re on the front line being able to provide communication options for individuals with sight loss. Now we can able and offer this additional benefit of free monthly file service.

And I do also want to point out is that a lot of our BlindShell users receive complimentary phones from various state agencies and sometimes organizations. Now those agencies like the VA or Department of Rehabilitation Services or an accessible telecommunications agency, they do not provide monthly wireless. So it becomes the burden on the end user. So now that we have the complete package available for the end user, they can get their phone from their respective state program and now they can get their wireless service through the portable connectivity program. So it’s a win-win for the community.

Yeah, like you said, that opens up a whole new door of access because most of those programs don’t have the ability to pay for any ongoing costs. They can pay for one time things and stuff like that, but can’t ever cover that kind of service. So now you’re making the accessible phone also financially accessible. So that really opens up the door to communication for a lot of individuals that may not have had that before.

We’re hearing the success stories already where people are just amazed that this program’s available when we’re now talking in the field or just from a customer service standpoint, we’re sharing this information with everyone. Because at the end of the day, if you qualify, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t take advantage of this benefit.

And full disclosure, just talking about a lot of people don’t know about it. Actually a member of my team, Velva Smith, who’s on one of our other podcasts, brought it to my attention and I was like, “Oh, I’ve talked to them before. Let’s definitely have them back on.” Because I also was completely and totally unaware of the program and really getting the word out really does just to help folks know that those benefits are out there, especially if that’s something that’s a major burden or even just a barrier to access it. It’s great to be able to know that those kinds of programs are out there to assist.

They are, and every little bit helps and we’re on a mission to continue breaking down barriers. This is a big part in our toolbox, if you want to call it, in our arsenal of services that we can provide. Of course, we’re here at BlindShell USA to provide customer service, technical support, and we have a great team behind us as well when it comes to the Affordable Connectivity Program, being able to help individuals, whether it’s inserting that SIM card for the first time, getting their phone set up out of the box. It’s a very simple process and we’re here to support the community. And so I’ve had people ask us, “Well, what really sets BlindShell USA apart from another, say, a wireless carrier, that may also offer services for the Affordable Connectivity Program?” And what I always say is that we’re devoted and committed to the sight loss community. That’s what we are built on. That is where our heart is. And so we want to do everything we can to create the perfect communication solution.

Awesome. Bari, you touched on this just a little bit, but Bari, could one of you or both of you tell us a story about someone’s success either using the BlindShell Classic 2 or the new BlindShell Mobile program and how it just really opened up the door to them for communication?

So we have a gentleman who’s a customer of ours who is, I’m going to say he is in his early to mid 60s and he had no experience with technology, didn’t have a cell phone before, and so he purchased a BlindShell Classic 2, and he would call quite often, which that is fine. And I told him, “You could call me every day if you need to, and we’ll go over stuff.”

So he would call and we’d start with how to make a phone call and how to do a text message. And so then his phone calls would get less and less because he’d become more comfortable with the phone and he’d practiced things on his own. And I would say probably within a month I’m getting emails from him that have YouTube attachments to it and podcasts that he’s found and internet radio stations that he really likes to listen to. So to me, that was just so amazing because it took somebody who, and he is totally blind from birth, never had any kind of technology experience and was isolated basically. And now he is just on listservs and his whole life has just opened up because now he has the ability to communicate with people. He’s been on Facebook, so he’s been in touch with people he hasn’t spoken to in years. So everything for him is now just there at his fingertips.

Oh, I love it.

Yes. I want to share a couple stories, if you want to call it where we have Alexa on the phone as an app. And as many people know, Alexa is a very powerful platform that really works and integrates well with the BlindShell Classic 2. So earlier this year during spring training, there was a story going around which just really caught my attention.

So I happened to enjoy a baseball game and this individual had moved down to Florida originally from Chicago area, they loved the Chicago Cubs, and she wanted to be able to listen to the Cubs for the 2023 baseball season on her phone. And what she did was she subscribed to the MLB audio package, which was then paired up with her Alexa account, and now she can listen to her Cubs games wherever she goes, wherever she is on her BlindShell. And so when you hear a simple success story like that and what Diane just shared few moments ago, and there are so many more of these stories out there but these are little bits and pieces. They may sound like, wow, what’s the big deal? No, it is a big deal because all these little stories they add up and they provide individuals with greater independence and it’s about quality of life.

Just real quick, while we got just a second left here, Diane, Bari, if our folks do want to find out more, I know you showed me the blindhshellmobile.com. Is there another place they can go also, if they want to learn more about the Blind Shell Classic 2 and the other great things that you all do?

Absolutely. Please visit BlindShell USA. That’s B-L-I-N-D-S-H-E-L-L usa.com. On our website, you’ll find everything about The BlindShell Classic 2. You will even see this featured podcast after it’s out in the live on our featured podcast section. We have tons of tutorial. We’ve recently added a section for the listserv communities where people can join these free listserv communities, put questions out there, get response from the community. You’ll find information about our weekly and bimonthly live streams that we offer and just so much more information, everything about the BlindShell community. So if you’re not already part of the community, we highly encourage you to come on board, look forward to working with you and welcome you to the family.

Awesome. Well, Diane, Bari, always an absolute pleasure to have you on the show. Thanks so much for coming on today and reminding us about the BlindShell Classic 2, but also telling us about BlindShell Mobile and all that it can offer folks. Thanks again.

Thank you so much, Josh.

Thank you.

Appreciate having your side.

Do you have a question about assistive technology? Do you have a suggestion for someone we should interview on Assistive Technology Update? If so, call our listener line at (317) 721-7124. Send us an email at tech@eastersealscrossroads.org or shoot us a note on Twitter at InData Project. Our captions and transcripts for the show are sponsored by the Indiana Telephone Relay Access Corporation or INTRAC. You can find out more about INTRAC at relayindiana.com.

A special thanks to Nicole Prieto for scheduling our amazing guests and making a mess of my schedule. Today’s show was produced, edited, hosted, and fraught over by yours truly. The opinions expressed by our guests are their own and may or may not reflect those of the Indata Project Easterseals Crossroads, our supporting partners, or this host. This was your Assistive Technology Update, and I’m Josh Anderson with the Indata Project at Easterseals Crossroads in beautiful Indianapolis, Indiana. We look forward to seeing you next time. Bye-bye.