Many jobs require people to use telephones for a large part of their work. Telephones can be difficult for many people to manage, particularly if they have difficulties with fine hand use.
Using a telephone (or call centre equipment) may include answering calls, dialling numbers, playing back messages, and undertaking simultaneous use of the telephone with another task, such as writing messages or notes.
Reduced fine hand use may affect the worker’s ability to pick up and/or hold the handpiece, or their ability to press the keypad and other buttons. Underlying causes of these restrictions may include pain or weakness in the arms and hands, upper limb amputation, quadriplegia or neuromuscular diseases such as multiple sclerosis.
Workplace solutions and adjustments
There are a number of solutions available to assist with telephone use for workers with reduced fine motor skills:
On the job strategies
Additional to the workplace solutions identified above, people with fine motor impairments may also need to incorporate job strategies to assist them to complete telephone tasks such as:
- communicating with a caller that additional time may be required to write notes or to use an alternative input device
- using assistive technology whilst using the telephone such as speech recognition software.
Other job requirements or solutions
Some telecommunications carriers provide a range of equipment and services related to increasing accessibility of telephone communications for individuals with disability. A range of equipment and services are available that can assist in overcoming barriers such as hearing or vision impairments, memory or cognitive impairment or reduced fine motor skills. Contact individual telecommunications providers to discuss the availability and individual eligibility for these products and services.
References
Telstra 2007, Telstra, Victoria, viewed 12 September 2007.
Independent Living Centres Australia 2007, Independent Living Centres Australia, Canberra, viewed 12 September 2007.