The NHRCK extends its enthusiastic welcome on the launch of special calling plans of a smart phone which provide a basic calling time of video call instead of voice call for persons with hearing and/or speaking disabilities who are actually not able to use voice call in the first place.
In 2011, approximately 10 petitioners who have hearing impairment submitted complaints insisting that forcing to subscribe a flat-rate plan for a smart phone which offer basic amount of time exclusively for voice call is a discriminatory act against persons with hearing disability by telecommunication companies.
The NHRCK recognizes that refusing to switch a basic option for voice call to video call in fact results a discriminatory effect against persons with hearing impairment because telecommunication companies technically compel people in the same situation with petitioners to purchase something that they cannot even use by providing calling plans designed without any consideration for persons who are not able to use voice call. Therefore, the NHRCK decided the case constitutes an indirect discrimination in a telecommunication service against persons with disability in light of the Act on the Prohibition of Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities and Remedies, Etc. and called upon the major three telecommunication companies in Korea (SK, LG, KT) as well as the Korea Communications Commission to reform the calling plans of smart phone in favor of persons with hearing impairment.
As a result, all the telecommunication companies launched a special calling plan for persons with hearing and/or speech impairment which offer limited amount of time of conference call as a basic option instead of a normal voice call.
The NHRCK expresses its big welcome to the launch of the special telecommunication service for persons with disabilities and hopes this kind of measures will contribute to the enhancement of well-fare of persons in a special need.
