Braille phone on the button: advocates

Disability advocates have welcomed Australia's first mobile phone designed specifically for the vision-impaired.

The stripped-down handset, launched on Tuesday by tech company OwnFone, can be programmed with up to three numbers, each dialled from 3D-printed buttons labelled in braille.

There's no touchscreen, no text messaging and no voicemail. The handsets are targeted at people who want to call selected family and friends.

"There are currently 35,000 people in Australia who are blind," said OwnFone's Australian chief Brad Scoble.

"Touchscreen technology is problematic for those Australians."

Wayne Hawkins, disability policy adviser at the Australian Communications Consumer Action Network, welcomed the development.

He said that while many new mobile phones provide accessibility features, they were often too expensive for consumers with disabilities.

The braille phones start at $89 with calls plans starting from $5 a week.

"The new braille phone will be beneficial for a number of Australians and we see it as a positive addition to the choices for consumers who are blind," Mr Hawkins said.

OwnFone launched phones for children and seniors in Australia in April.