For the 46 million Americans living with arthritis, calling loved ones just got easier. The Arthritis Foundation awarded Clarity — a division of Plantronics and the leading manufacturer of amplified telephones — the esteemed Ease-of-Use commendation for its D613 cordless amplified telephone.

Clarity is the first telephone manufacturer to be recognized by the Arthritis Foundation and this is the company’s second product honored by the Ease-of-Use program. The D613 earned the award due to its lightweight, ergonomic headset and large, soft touch buttons. The D613 also features powerful amplification, making it ideal for seniors who may experience other health challenges, such as hearing loss, along with arthritis.

“For decades, we’ve been listening to our customers and we know that with age comes hearing loss and other health challenges like arthritis,” said Carsten Trads, president of Clarity. “We took deliberate steps with the design of the D613 to make this more than a hearing loss phone—we made the buttons easier to press and the handset easier to hold for our customers with arthritis so we are honored to be recognized by the Arthritis Foundation.”

The Clarity D613 utilizes Clarity Power and Digital Enhanced Cordless Technology 6.0 to amplify sound up to 30 decibels and provide users crisp, clear and interference-free communication. A contrasting display features bold numbers and text to help people with low vision. The phone is hearing aid and T-coil compatible.

It also complies with TIA-1083 guidelines, ensuring reduced interference for those using hearing aids during conversations. The D613 can be purchased at RadioShack locations throughout the US and online for $89.95.

The Arthritis Foundation’s Ease of Use Commendation program was created to encourage the design of user-friendly products and packaging for the 46 million Americans with arthritis.

To earn recognition, the Clarity D613 was required to pass two sets of rigorous evaluations. The first was conducted by an independent team of researchers at the Georgia Tech Research Institute. Testers examined the phone’s design and compared it against guidelines set for products aimed at people with functional limitations due to arthritis.

The phone faced an even tougher crowd when it was put to the test in a focus group of people with moderate to extreme arthritic symptoms. The eight participants performed a variety of functions—such as placing a call, adjusting volume and playing a recorded message—to verify they could use the phone with little to no difficulty.

Among the group’s favorite features were the handset, described as “comfortable” and “easy to hold,” and the buttons which were “easy to read and press.”

“We appreciate Clarity’s participation in the Ease-of-Use program and congratulate them on this most recent commendation,” said Rick Bell, managing director of cause development with the Arthritis Foundation. “Everyday consumer products like this new phone can make a significant difference in the lives of people with physical limitations.”

In addition to the senior-friendly elements, the Clarity D613 features a digital answering machine, call waiting, caller ID, call screening, call transfer and mute call functions. It also includes a speakerphone, a 30 name and number phonebook and nine speed dial options. All phones come with a one-year limited warranty. Menu language is available in English, French and Spanish.

The Clarity C4230 cordless amplified phone received the same recognition from the Arthritis Foundation in 2009.