Qualcomm Donates £56,000 (US$100,000) to RNIB to Enhance Education of Blind and Partially Sighted Children

Company Provides RNIB with Financial Backing and Mobile Technology Research

LONDON - Qualcomm Incorporated (Nasdaq: QCOM), a leading developer and innovator of advanced wireless technologies and data solutions, today announced its donation of £56,000 (US$100,000) to the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB). The cash donation will support the work of RNIB. In addition, Qualcomm staff will donate their time for community projects, and Qualcomm and RNIB have agreed to collaborate on joint research activities to improve handset usability for blind and partially sighted people.

The donation will be used by RNIB to develop a set of production masters for a range of tactile teaching materials for use by blind and partially sighted children in the UK. The tactile teaching materials will include formats such as maps, charts and diagrams and will be designed to meet the needs of children with sight problems who are studying General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) courses in mainstream education systems.

“ We are enthusiastic about the opportunity to work with RNIB to further our shared goal of finding new wireless technology applications that positively impact society. ”
- Andrew Gilbert

Executive vice president of Qualcomm and president of MediaFLO Technologies, Qualcomm Internet Services and Qualcomm Europe


Andrew Gilbert, executive vice president of Qualcomm and president of MediaFLO Technologies, Qualcomm Internet Services and Qualcomm Europe, commented, “RNIB has a celebrated history of using innovative technologies to improve the lives of its members. We are enthusiastic about the opportunity to work with RNIB to further our shared goal of finding new wireless technology applications that positively impact society.”

Steve Tyler, head of innovation at RNIB commented, “This donation will enhance access to education for blind and partially sighted children in the UK, leading to increased employment opportunities and independence later in their lives. We are excited to be working with Qualcomm and look forward to further developing a productive relationship.”

As part of the organizations’ joint research, Qualcomm and RNIB will work with Loughborough University’s Ergonomics and Safety Research Institute to support post-graduate scientific studies into the use of mobile phone screen reader technology by blind and partially sighted people. Through this research, the organizations will work to identify ways to improve mobile phone design for people with sight problems, and to provide a set of best practice design recommendations based on the research results.

Qualcomm Incorporated (Nasdaq: QCOM) is a leader in developing and delivering innovative digital wireless communications products and services based on CDMA and other advanced technologies. Headquartered in San Diego, Calif., Qualcomm is included in the S&P 100 Index, the S&P 500 Index and is a 2008 FORTUNE 500® company. For more information, please visit www.qualcomm.com.

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