How do you use a phone if you’re blind? It’s a simple question, but one most people rarely consider. There are all sorts of obstacles, from reading the screen to navigating menus and icons, and that’s without factoring in the extra awkwardness of the touchscreen most prized in todays mobile markets.

It’s a tricky task to make a phone that’s appealing to the general public, while still keeping it accessible for blind and partially sighted owners. But take a look at most Nokia handsets and you’ll see it’s a challenge being tackled in exceedingly clever ways.

Every N Series, for example, has the ability to shout out the name of a caller, as well as showing it on-screen. Stumbling across the feature, it’s easy to think Nokia included it for road warriors in hands-free heaven, or show offs keen to let everyone know they’re popular. But think again: it’s a boon to the blind, giving all the benefits of caller ID that the majority of phone owners take for granted.

And it doesn’t stop there. Voice recognition, of course, helps blind and partially sighted owners make calls, but less commonly know is the Say and Play feature of XpressMusic handsets.

If you haven’t come across it yet, it’s a neat feature that lets music fans tap a key, say the name of an artist or track and, thanks to the power of the phone, start it playing. There’s no need to train the phone, or teach it pronunciations. It just works.

Partially sighted users can make the most of Nokia Magnifier, an app that as the name suggests makes things larger, so a little easier to read. It uses the Nokia's built-in camera as a magnifier, which is another great aid.

But what about touchscreen phones? They’re trickier to make useful to partially sighted owners, and almost impossible for the blind to get to grips with. Enter the Nokia N97. A phone with plenty of keys, so it can be used without ever touching the screen if necessary. It also has the ability to re-skin its interface with high-contrast themes, perfect for making buttons and text leap out to those with problematic eyesight.

So next time Nokia wheels out a whizzy feature, take a second to think about it: Is it really designed purely for phone fans? Or is it an undercover helping hand, making sure Nokia mobiles are useful to everyone, leveling the playing field no matter what their ability level.