Smartphone up to €70 for people with disabilities: who can buy the device at the new price

People with disabilities of 67% or more will be able to purchase special smartphones costing up to €70. The measure concerns devices with accessibility features, but we are not talking about a cash voucher, but about a regulated price from telecom operators.

Greece is preparing a new digital accessibility measure for people with disabilities: telecommunications companies will have to offer special smartphones at a price of up to €70 for citizens with a confirmed disability of 67%.

In publications this measure is often called “voucher for the purchase of a smartphone”. However, it is more accurate to talk not about direct cash payment, but about a special mechanism for affordable prices. The state does not promise to transfer €70 to each person on their phone. Instead, telecom service providers will be required to sell at least one device model that meets affordability requirements and does not exceed a specified price.

This measure is provided for by a joint ministerial decision published in the Federal Law. It concerns people with disabilities 67% and abovewith valid confirmation of status.

What phones should appear

We are not talking about expensive flagship smartphones, but about basic devices adapted for users with various types of disabilities.

There are functions that can make everyday use of the phone much more convenient:

• Narrator and voice-over features for people with visual impairments;
• increased sound, including up to 50 dB for hearing impaired users;
• large and clearly visible buttons or a simplified interface;
• light notifications and vibration;
• assistive technology support.

In addition to the smartphones themselves, the new system provides the opportunity to purchase auxiliary equipment at prices reduced or close to cost. This category may include headsets, Bluetooth devices, and AAC alternative and augmentative communication products.

Who can use

The main condition is a confirmed disability of 67%. It is expected that verification of eligibility will be linked to a digital registry of people with disabilities, so that citizens do not have to carry around a folder of certificates the size of a small library every time.

A separate working service for submitting applications specifically for the purchase of such a smartphone has not yet been officially published. Therefore, reports that a special electronic platform will definitely open in November 2026 should be taken with caution: at the moment this appears in media publications, but is not confirmed by a separate official announcement on gov.gr.

Why measure is important

For many people with visual, hearing or motor impairments, a smartphone has long become not a luxury, but a basic tool for communicating with family, doctors, government agencies, banks and emergency services.

However, affordable devices and assistive technologies often cost more than conventional models. Therefore, limiting the price to €70 could be a useful measure, especially for people with low incomes.

At the same time, the real effect will depend on what models the operators will offer, whether they will be truly convenient for users and how simple the procedure for confirming the right to purchase will be.

What is important to remember

So far we are not talking about a direct payment of €70 to each person. The essence of the measure is that telecom operators must offer special smartphones at a price of up to €70 for citizens with disabilities of 67%.

Before purchasing, you should wait for official information from the Ministry of Digital Governance, the Ministry of Social Cohesion or gov.gr: there should be a list of participating companies, available models and the procedure for confirming eligibility for a preferential price.

Source link