The National Telecom Regulatory Authority (NTRA) has directed for mobile companies to allow free use of a set of phone applications for people with disabilities as of the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan.
The approach is to ensure easy access to telecommunications and the Internet for disabled users, as they are an integral part of the Egyptian social fabric.
The NTRA initiative aims to provide free use of a set of applications for users with visual and auditory disabilities that help them facilitate various matters of their daily living. This is also to ensure that their consumption is not deducted from the contracted Internet packages provided by various mobile companies.
The applications offer a range of diverse features, such as object and currency recognition, and e-reader and automatic conversations with sighted volunteers through online visual chatting technology.
The applications for the visually impaired include Be My Eyes, TapTapSee, CASH READER and work on various operating systems. For the hearing-impaired users, the Wasel application was made available free of charge.
Wasel is an application for inquiring about government facilities and emergency services through sign language video technology.
