September 2010

Communication Solutions NEW EDITION of our product and services booklet - now available.

Text Relay For all the latest on communications options for people who are deaf, hearing or speech impaired visit www.textrelay.org

Welcome

I want to start off with some really exciting news. As you may have already heard, BT is sponsoring a whole range of programming on Channel 4 leading up to the London 2012 Paralympic Games. Along with Sainsbury's, we'll be sharing sponsorship of a series of programmes as well as live coverage and highlights of the Games themselves.

I am thrilled and proud to be part of a company that is making such a positive investment in Paralympic sport. As you probably know, we already support the BT Paralympic World Cup and Paralympic athletes including Lee Pearson and Oscar Pistorious. The tie-up with Channel 4 is yet another example of BT's commitment. Personally, I cannot wait for the Games to begin. Roll on 2012!

195 - one number worth remembering

Our 195 service is a real life-line for those people who find it difficult to hold a phonebook or look up numbers. It's a free directory enquiries service from BT that lets people find numbers without having to use the phone book.

The service is available to those with visual impairments or other disabilities, but did you know that people with dyslexia may also be eligible?

To find out more about the service, or enquire about eligibility, simply call 0800 587 0195 and ask for the registration team. They're available Monday to Friday 9.00am to 4.30pm (excluding public holidays) and can answer any questions you have.

Once registered, customers just call 195 and the BT team will look up a number for them - free of charge. And anyone registered for the 195 service can also use the 1471-3 call return service - where the connection fee (you are connected after pressing the '3') will be waived.

BT Basic - a helping hand from BT

Recent news reports suggest little sign of an imminent or significant upturn in the economy. With prices rising and money tight, the knock-on effect of this gloomy outlook is that people's budgets continue to be squeezed. BT is committed to ensuring that all people who want access to a landline can have access to one, and BT Basic is our subsidised service for those on constrained incomes.

If someone you know is claiming benefits such as Income Support, Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, Pensions Credit or Employment and Support Allowance, then they may be eligible for BT Basic.

BT Basic line rental costs just £4.50 a month - or £13.50 (including VAT) every three months. That includes a call allowance of £4.50 (including VAT) every three months for local, national and international landline calls.

As long as they stay within their £4.50 call limit, their phone bill will always be £13.50. And yes, to answer one of the most frequently asked questions about this, they can also subscribe to our broadband service - even if they're on BT Basic. You can find more information at www.bt.com/broadband

If they exceed their £4.50 call allowance, they'll pay 10p a minute (plus 3p for each phone call) for all local and national calls (those that start with either 01, 02 or 03) . All other calls are charged at our standard BT Basic calling package rates.

There's a call barring service included to prevent anyone from dialling costly premium-rate services, for example, and they can always find out how much they've spent by simply visiting our website or phoning BT's automated Call My Bill service anytime night or day on 0800 443311 (if you call from a different number to the one you are checking, you will need your account number handy).

You can find out more information about BT Basic - including eligibility and charges - by visiting www.bt.com/btbasic or for sign language users on www.bt.com/btbasicsign

Coming soon...

We've been doing some work behind the scenes to make life easier for you when dealing with us. I don't want to reveal too much at the moment but ultimately it will mean that you'll be able to order products online as well as complete other time-saving tasks.

Before that can happen, though, we need to make sure that your details are up-to-date. So please look out for an e-mail from us inviting you to our site in the near future. At that point we'll check your details and ask you for a password so that you can use to log in whenever you want.

Text relay research - Ofcom needs your help

Ofcom is carrying out a new research project about the future of text relay and other services for people who are deaf, hard of hearing or with speech difficulties. In particular, the study is looking at how people currently use communications services and what they need to be able to communicate effectively with others. If you would like to have your say - or if you know someone who would like to take part - then please visit the news section of our website for more information.

Naidex South 29-30 September 2010, ExCeL London

Before I sign off, just a quick reminder that we'll be at the Naidex South at the ExCeL centre in the heart of London's Docklands at the end of the month. The show features a host of products, services and demonstrations for those interested in homecare, disability and rehabilitation. There's also a KideQuip zone dedicated to children's equipment and services, with help and advice on hand for families and carers.  We'll be in the Communications Village where you can try out our latest products and services and speak to the BT team.

Kind regards

Dave Barrett
Senior Inclusion and Accessibility Manager, BT Retail