[Electronics-Talk] A few additional thoughts about dishwasher access

[Brad Hodges]

Colleagues:

Late last week a message from this list was forwarded to me which very 
articulately outlined the bedeviling issues of obtaining an accessible 
or useable dishwasher.

Many years ago I was privileged to conduct research and publish several 
articles in the Monitor in which appliance accessibility was explored. I 
have remained interested in this area and reading of this individuals 
struggle prompted me to join the list.

With respect to dishwasher design and accessibility strategies in 
addition to the excellent commentary already posted, I would offer the 
following observations.

Unlike washing machines, which can be plugged in at a retail location in 
order to assess control accessibility, dishwashers are almost always 
hard wired in the home. With few exceptions therefor operating 
dishwashers are not available to audition.

I have observed that Sears stores do connect at least some, if not all, 
of their display units. Happily they generally appear to have a broad 
selection, including Kenmore, a brand who's accessibility and nonvisual 
usability comes and goes with what can appear to be lightning speed.

If you are focusing on a few candidates, contacting the manufacturers 
customer service department with specific questions may help. I recall 
one instance in which a Whirlpool agent took the phone into a lab and 
answered my questions about the control behavior as she used the 
appliance. I would caution against open ended questions "I'm blind, do 
you think I can use the controls?" Rather, "since I'm blind and will not 
be using the machine visually, is there a specific control which will 
return the unit to a default setting?"

Reading the manual ahead of time can also help. A feel for the design 
philosophy can be had by reading the specific operational steps outlined.

Reading customer reviews on sites such as Amazon and AJ Madison may shed 
light on control behaviors. Similarly professional reviews can sometimes 
give at least a hint as to how a specific appliance behaves.

Finally, using the "ask a question" feature of some on-line retailers 
may be useful. Amazon offers this feature. and don't discount the 
expertise of the sales people at on-line sources such as AJ Madison.

In Federationism,

Brad Hodges
brad.hodges at outlook.com