Accessibility problem from which even mighty Google suffers

In several forms – both paper and Web-based ones – you are expected to enter a phone number.
The phone number presumably needs to be a valid one.
Some Web based forms enforce this. They validate the phone number and do not allow you to proceed unless you enter a valid phone number.

However, in my case, no matter what phone number I enter, it is not a valid phone number. At least according to the criteria that if anyone makes a phone call to that number, he/she’ll get a reply from me. I am deaf and never use the phone for talking.

In order to be true to the spirit of the forms, I need to enter a FAX number, and indicate that it is a FAX number rather than a phone number.

The snag is that by entering “FAX +972-x-xxxxxxx” or something similar (972 is the international prefix of Israel), I run afoul of the validating software behind some Web sites. Especially Web sites running Google programs, such as Google Analytics.

So in order to proceed, I am forced to enter a nonsense phone number, lie or skip when this is possible.

There may be also people, who do not have their own phone number at all, not even for FAX messages. Yet they surf the Internet. How would they cope with such bossy forms, which require something which looks like a phone number?

Author: Omer Zak

I am deaf since birth. I played with big computers which eat punched cards and spew out printouts since age 12. Ever since they became available, I work and play with desktop size computers which eat keyboard keypresses and spew out display pixels. Among other things, I developed software which helped the deaf in Israel use the telephone network, by means of home computers equipped with modems. Several years later, I developed Hebrew localizations for some cellular phones, which helped the deaf in Israel utilize the cellular phone networks. I am interested in entrepreneurship, Science Fiction and making the world more accessible to people with disabilities.

3 thoughts on “Accessibility problem from which even mighty Google suffers”

  2. Sorry for butting in, but I noticed your post in my accessibility reading…

    I'd have to say that out of maybe thousands of sites I've entered my phone number on, the only ones who have actually tried to contact me by phone is no more than three, and they were delivering goods to me directly. On the whole, though, if they haven't taken deaf/HoH users into consideration in their signup process, bogus input data is their problem, not yours.

    But if it's truly necessary, may I suggest +972-3-7303355 (Association of the Deaf in Israel), or for US-centric forms, 301-587-1788 (National Association of the Deaf), or maybe the number of a relay service?

    (http://livejournal.com/users/)

    1. There are few problems with the suggestion to enter the numbers of organizations of the deaf and/or relay services.

      Without additional number, those organization would not understand why Google (or ISOC – the Israeli domain registrar which registers domains in .co.il, and its Web site has the same problem) is phoning them, neither will the calling employee understand why the customer directed him/her to those organizations.

      And the form checking software forbids addition of the extra information (starting with the letters “FAX”).

      Some Web sites require, in their terms of service, that the visitor provide them accurate information, as a condition to fulfill the service agreement. So if I enter a bogus phone number, then I may have hard time in court proving that I was prevented from entering correct information and therefore I am entitled to the benefits from the contract rather than having it annulled due to entry of fraudulent information.

      (http://livejournal.com/users/tddpirate)

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