[Electronics-talk] accessible dishwasher, refrigerator, and washer and dryer

[Dave Bahr]

Hi there,

I was recommended to this list by the folks over at cooking in the dark. 
I was wondering if I could get some suggestions for a relatively 
accessible dishwasher and refrigerator. My fiancé and I are moving into 
a condo and we need to inform the design center about what 
accommodations we might need.I am totally blind for the record.

Regarding the dishwasher, I have done my research and found the American 
Foundation for the Blind articles but they are from 2007. They 
recommended Whirlpool and Kenmore brands but did not provide model 
numbers because they change so frequently. We need a built-in dishwasher 
rather than one that is top-down. I don't need to access that many 
settings but it would be nice to be able to control the temperature or 
the cycle. I know that you can put markings on the front panel or 
braille them, but it would be nice to have some built-in (in air quotes) 
accessible features. I have attempted to braille my dishwasher at my 
parents place but because the front panel gets hot when doing a dry 
cycle, the braille from the dymo labeler ended up falling off. The folks 
over at abledata.com recommended a few brands that have a strip of some 
sort of tactile markings that one can feel. This is, admittedly, a 
rather vague description but does anybody have something like this?

Regarding the refrigerator, there is not much to it but I would rather 
not have one that has a digital screen above the ice and water filter 
controls. We need a side-by-side refrigerator as my fiancé is in a 
wheelchair and cannot use either a lower or upper freezer. I would 
rather not have one with one single button where one has to change from 
ice to water, but if you do have one or know of one that is accessible 
with a single button, I am flexible and open to any suggestions you may 
have.

Re: washers and dryers, we have a GE model which is somewhat accessible 
because the knobs click and have an arrow on them. The complex that we 
are buying the condo in recommended the Whirlpool duet but the reviews 
on Amazon basically said that there washer and dryer is trash. I'm 
wondering if anybody has any suggestions for a more accessible model? I 
know the Whirlpool was favored in the 2007 AFB article for using tones 
as a means of recognition and accessibility. But if the washer and dryer 
isn't worth the money, the accessibility makes no difference.

Regarding price, I'll pay whatever it takes to have something that is 
somehow blind friendly.

any suggestions are appreciated,
thanks, Dave