Q&A: What is your Cell Phone plan?

Since I'm unable to make traditional phone calls, people have been curious what kind of cell phone plan I have, or they've wondered why I bothered with a cell phone in the first place.

When cell phones began its first foothold in society--Let say, the year 2000, there weren't any options for data&text-only plans. You had to pay for phone minutes, or you had nothing. It wasn't until I got T-mobile's Sidekick II in 2004 and the SKIII in 2006 that I was able to get an unlimited data&text plan for $30/month. I loved T-mobile for being my first available company to offer unlimited texts, and then even more once they allowed customers to opt out of phone minutes.
T-mobile was excellent for Deaf customers. I loved them!

As time went by, I started drinking the Apple Koolaid and I wanted an Iphone. It wasn't until I learned about AT&T's TAP (Iphone plan and other) that purchasing one became affordable. Thanks to TAP, I've had an Iphone since 2009. Similar to the plan offered by T-mobile, TAP allows Deaf people to only pay for data and texts. I have the unlimited data & unlimited texting plan for $50/month. I'm grandfathered into this plan and won't be switching anytime soon.

The downside to TAP is it's only offered to Deaf customers (or those with speech difficulty) who provide medical proof. So if you're you're hearing and you don't make phone calls, tough luck, you can't get this plan. This may seem unfair, especially back when AT&T had exclusive contract for the Iphone (and yes, hearing people complained) but there were other phone companies out there (like Tmobile) that offered text/data-only plans where medical proof wasn't required.

AT&T's TAP would be an example where improved accessibility for the deaf isn't "equal" access ( The law does not require Equal Access for deaf people to use cell phones) since hearing people were and are still unable to purchase the same plan. Hearing people could get data-only plans through other companies, but the most vocal complaints came from iphone users who were angry about their choice to overpay for phone minutes. They were using their phone minutes, they were just unhappy a select minority didn't have to pay for phone minutes they'd never use.
 Sympathy level: zero

So what is my phone used for? Texting, web browsing, Google Maps, settling arguments, Internet Relay Phone Calls (using an app), camera, vibrating travel alarm clock, etc. In the past I've used Google Voice services to translate my Voice Mail messages. I generally do not get phone calls, but occasionally a school or business will contact me and the voice-to-text translation tool is useful. When I use the forwarding+Google Voice feature, I am charged the standard phone minute rate. I could find cheaper unlimited data&unlimited text plans, but I'm satisfied with my iphone and I'll stick with it for now.