Nokia and the Neil Squire Society, a Canadian research and development organization, are collaborating on the development of new technologies designed to make wireless communication accessible to people with severe mobility and dexterity impairments.

One of the initial outputs from this collaboration is the Hands Free Adapter (HFA), which makes cellular phone operations accessible by using various alternative input switches commonly used by individuals with mobility impairments. The HFA will be available for select Nokia phones and is expected to be commercially available online and through North American assistive technology stores during the fall of 2006.

“With the innovations that Nokia and the Neil Squire Society are working on together, people with severe mobility and dexterity impairments now have the ability to access basic cellular telephone features that many people take for granted,” said David Dzumba, director of industry solutions for Nokia. “We look forward to continuing our work with the Neil Squire Society to provide accessibility adaptations that make mobile phones more accessible.”

“Nokia is a leader in meeting the needs of people with disabilities. We are thrilled to collaborate with Nokia and to provide a greatly enhanced access to an important technology to enhance the lives of the mobility impaired,” said Dr. Gary Birch, Executive Director of the Neil Squire Society. “Nokia is a corporate leader in the area of addressing accessibility for all people with disabilities.”

More than 124 million people, 1.9% of the population worldwide, suffer from a disability that affects their upper limbs, according to the United Nations Disabilities Statistics Database.