A mobile phone for blind people

Mobile phones make our everyday life easier; they have become an indispensable part of our lives. But for the visually impaired, normal mobile phones present a very distinct challenge. The Chinese SUWU Design Studio wants to change this, with its "U-Touch Phone". They designed a special touch-screen which, combined with speech recognition and a navigation system, enables blind people to easily use the device. The design allows them not only to make calls but also to send and receive messages, navigate their way and use the other standard functions of a smart phone. The designers also lend special attention to user safety: an emergency button calls for help, relaying the user’s exact position. The "U-Touch Phone" has an elastic fabric belt and is worn on the shoulder, so that users can reach the phone at all times. An indicator light makes the user more visible to cars and pedestrians, completing this holistic, innovative design that improves lives of blind people.