While most people wouldn’t ever notice that you can’t buy an iPhone without a calling plan, that fact inadvertently shafts a huge group of potential subscribers: the deaf, hearing impaired, and those with difficulties speaking. If you don’t use the voice features to communicate, you don’t really need hundreds of minutes.

With this in mind, AT&T yesterday unveiled a Text Accessibility Plan. For $40.00 per month, qualified customers get unlimited text and unlimited data, sans any allotment of minutes (though the phone can still be used, at $.40 per minute.)

Also offered is a similar package for business users: $65 a month for all of the aforementioned with the addition of unlimited enterprise email.

No hearing/speech impairment, but don’t want to pay for minutes? This isn’t your backdoor. The packages are only offered for those who can certify their disability – if that includes you or someone you know, check out the form here.

[Via Electronista]