Nokia in collaboration with Neil Squire Society, a Canadian based non-profit organization that serves Canadians with physical disabilities through a variety of service programs, are coming together for the development of new technologies designed to make wireless communication accessible to people with severe mobility and dexterity impairments. The result of this collaboration is the new Hands Free Adapter (HFA).

The HFA is a unique cell phone adapter, which has various alternative input switches commonly used by individuals with imapirments, through which they can access to various cellular phone operations. According to the United Nations Disabilities Statistics Database more than 124 million people, 1.9% of the population worldwide, suffer from a disability that affects their upper limbs. So with the HFA device, courtesy of Nokia and Neil Squire, people with impairments now have the ability to access basic cellular telephone features that many people take for granted.

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. For more information please visit the Nokia Website