[사회][제보는Y] The reason why the smartphone for the visually impaired, ‘Haetul Phone’ … has become useless

[앵커]

A smartphone for the visually impaired that can search, make calls, and text with just one voice was launched two years ago and garnered attention.

Recently, there have been reports that this feature has stopped suddenly.

People with visual impairments use outdated mobile phones, why is this happening?

Reporter Park Ki-wan from ‘Report Y’ covered it.

[기자]

Swipe through the license plate, press the hotkey, and search for the novel title using your voice.

Search the portal site by voice, send and receive text messages, and make calls.

This is a smartphone for the visually impaired, launched in 2018.

It was developed by an IT company and is equipped with technology adapted for the visually impaired, such as a function that reads the screen by voice on a folder type device.

Official sales began when the developer donated the program to the Federation of the Visually Impaired, and more than 3,000 visually impaired people now buy and use it.

[고영화 / ‘해뜰폰’ 사용 시각장애인 : 소리로 다 들으니까 좋았어요. 전화도 걸기 쉽고, 책도 보고, 영화도 듣고요.]

However, earlier this year, most features for the visually impaired were discontinued, including voice search on the internet.

It turned out that the developer had shut down this program server.

[고영화 / ‘해뜰폰’ 사용 시각장애인 : (기능이) 안되니까 나는 새로 사면 잘 될 줄 알고 새로 샀어요. 그런데 마찬가지예요. 전화밖에 잘 안 돼요.]

When I asked the developer why, I blamed the Federation of the Blind.

Even after two years of making the promise of free administration, the association did not say a word to continue the business and because of this, it was impossible to attract more business without money.

[‘해뜰폰’ 개발사 대표 : (시각장애인연합회) 회장님 바뀌고 나니까 그쪽에서는 원하는 프로젝트가 아니니까 유야무야 됐겠죠. 저희는 약속 지키려고 끝까지 한 거고요. 기대도 안 하고요. 전화 한 통화 받은 적 없으니까.]

On the other hand, the Federation argues that the problem is a developer who has stopped his business without giving a detailed explanation.

[시각장애인연합회 관계자 : 저희가 해뜰폰을 직접 뭐 한 게 아닙니다. 개발한 업체가 따로 있고 판매한 업체가 따로 있어요. 가시적인 게 없어서 그렇지 저희도 노력은 하고 있어요.]

Haetulphone’s business has become useless as the developers and the Federation of Korea are fighting each other for liability.

In the end, it is the visually impaired who have happily bought the device, saying they can use smartphones just as much as non-disabled people.

[강희영 / 서울시각장애인복지관 강사 : 뭔가 주었다 뺏는 기분 있잖아요. 예전에 할 수 없었던 거는 못하는구나 하고 살았는데 어느 순간 다 할 수 있었는데 지금 못하게 되니까 훨씬 박탈감이 있거든요.]

YTN Park Ki-wan[[email protected]]it is.

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