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Accessibility services - Our commitment to accessibility
We offer telecommunications services for customers with hearing, speech, visual and other physical disabilities.
In the Accessibility services centre, you’ll find information about the Accessibility services offered by Bell. You'll also find discounts and no-charge services offered specifically to people with disabilities.
Our commitment is to undertake a variety of activities to improve accessibility to telecommunications products and services for everybody.
Discover Bell Home phone, Internet, Mobility and TV services.
For more information on our Accessibility services, contact us by email, mail, phone or TTY.
Our commitment:
Improving accessibility for persons with disabilities
Bell Canada consults and works with a number of organizations to identify the telecommunications needs of persons with disabilities. The information we gather through these consultations is used to identify programs to improve accessibility to telecommunications services for persons with disabilities.
What activities does Bell Canada undertake to identify proposals to improve access to telecommunications services for persons with disabilities?
We stay informed about the telecommunications challenges faced by persons with disabilities in order to better understand their needs and design solutions to accommodate them. We monitor customer feedback, meet regularly with representatives of a number of associations representing persons with disabilities as well as research organizations, conduct monthly surveys to measure customer satisfaction and monitor Accessibilty services telecommunications services in the industry.
If you have comments on the needs of persons with disabilities and/or suggestions on products and services that would improve accessibility to telecommunications services for persons with disabilities you would like us to consider , you may contact us by email or by mail. You will receive acknowledgement that we have received your proposal.
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What services do you currently offer?
Our services tailored to meet the requirements of our special needs customers include:-
Established in 1980, the centre assists customers with hearing, speech, visual or physical disabilities. To obtain information about special equipment available through specific Bell World retail outlets and about applicable discounts, dial the toll-free number to reach the centre.
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Since 1987, we've been providing Bell Relay Service (BRS) within our territory in Ontario and Quebec. BRS operators assist deaf, hard of hearing and speech impaired customers in placing and receiving calls via a teletypewriter or text telephone (TTY) to and from hearing persons. The service is available to all customers 24 hours a day, seven days a week in English and French. BRS operators also assist customers in placing Voice Carry Over (VCO) and Hearing Carry Over (HCO) calls.
Special BRS pricing is as follows:
- no charge for local calls
- 50% discount on certain long distance calls
- 50% discount for certain TTY to TTY long distance calls placed by eligible residential and business customers
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Bills and certain bill inserts are available in alternate formats, upon request, to persons who are blind. Information on the rates, terms and conditions of Bell Canada retail telecommunications services is also available in alternate formats.
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Operators will place local calls free of charge, waive the surcharge associated with placing operator assisted long distance calls, and navigate Interactive Voice Response (IVR) systems for eligible customers who require assistance.
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Free Directory Assistance (DA) and Automatic Directory Assistance Call Completion (ADACC)
Eligible Bell Canada customers who are unable to use the directory are exempt from paying local and long distance DA and ADACC charges. -
All of our payphones are accessible to persons with physical disabilities and they are equipped with a number of features and services to make them more accessible by the deaf. For example:
- All payphones are hearing-aid compatible
- All payphones provide capability for connection with and signal compatibility for customer provided portable TTYs and VCO devices
- We are upgrading the availability of TTYs at payphones
- All payphones allow connection to BRS (long distance calls using BRS are offered at reduced rates)
- Each Millennium payphone has a volume control button
- Some payphones (for example, Millennium desktop phones) have built-in data jacks which can be connected to a portable computer
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Employees in our Special Needs Centre will provide information on all of the telecommunications equipment with features suitable for persons with disabilities offered for sale in Bell World stores. Employees in the Special Needs Centre will also provide customers with information on contacting various unaffiliated vendors who specialize in telecommunications equipment designed for use by persons with disabilities.
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