The Forum has been established in furtherance of ComReg’s statutory objectives to promote competition and to promote the interests of users. The Communication Act 2002 envisages that Comreg take specific measures in relation to those objectives including the following measures:

• Ensuring that users, including users with disabilities, derive maximum benefit in terms of choice, price and quality
• Promoting the provision of clear information
• Addressing the needs of specific social groups, in particular users with disabilities

Forum goals

The Forum met for the first time on September 27 2006 and agreed on the following goals:

• The identification of services currently provided by communications service providers that are relevant to the needs of users with disabilities
• The identification of accessibility issues for people with disabilities in relation to communications services.
• The promotion of good practice by service providers in relation to the accessibility of customer service
• The promotion of accessible information provision by service providers to users with disabilities so that such users can exercise choice in respect of services and service provider
• The promotion of the needs of users with disabilities through a review of the effectiveness of existing services in meeting the needs of users with disabilities and recommending improvements and/or new services

The following sections cover what has been achieved so far by the Forum.

Survey on users with disabilities

One of the Forums goals was to find out what issues people with disabilities have in relation to Telecommunication services. As a result, ComReg agreed to undertake a user survey which would aim to gather information from approximately 1000 people with disabilities in Ireland. The initial design of the survey was taken on by a selected Forum subgroup consisting of representatives from fixed line providers, mobile providers and members from various disability organisations.

In conjunction with the survey, a questionnaire was designed by a dedicated subgroup of the Forum so as to retrieve information about services which are currently available from service providers.

A summary of the information gathered on the survey will be published in due course.

Consumer guide for people with disabilities and older people

One of the Forum decisions was to publish a consumer guide which would inform people with disabilities and older people about various phone features, phone service, billing information and help with costs.

Currently the guide is at the design stage and is expected to be launched in September 2007 jointly by the NDA and ComReg in the following formats:

• Regular print
• Large print
• Braille
• Audio
• Online version
• Easy to read

Service providers are currently working on developing disability sections for their websites which should provide more information about the services which are generalised in the guide.

Service provider initiatives

The Forum is currently working on a set of initiatives which all service providers could undertake to help promote more accessible services for people with disabilities.