Sprint Releases New Accessible Smartphone

September 2013 — Sprint has announced the release of Kyocera Kona, a new smartphone with multiple accessibility features.  The compact flip phone provides users with a tactile keyboard, verbal descriptions of on-screen menus, “high-contrast user interface options,” 911 shortcuts, and “verbal translation enabling internet browsing.” The phone is also being currently offered free of charge, following a $50 mail-in rebate.  Of the service, David Owens, Vice President of Product Development at Sprint, stated, “Sprint has always been dedicated to ensuring accessibility – whether it’s our award winning accessibility Sprint ID application bundles or a device like Kona providing first–of-its-kind features for the visually impaired. We are providing the product free of charge because we want anyone who has a unique need to be able to take advantage of this great new offering.”