[Electronics-Talk] Does where we shop impact accessibility of appliances?

[Mike Freeman]

Right on, Ray!

Mike Freeman


-----Original Message-----
From: Electronics-Talk [mailto:electronics-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Ray Foret jr via Electronics-Talk
Sent: Sunday, October 30, 2016 10:59 AM
To: Discussion of accessible home electronics and appliances
Cc: Ray Foret jr
Subject: Re: [Electronics-Talk] Does where we shop impact accessibility of appliances?

Here are my thoughts.

1.  Appliance manufacturers don’t have any idea what we want.

2.  Even if they did, they couldn’t care less and whine it’s to expensive to make something we can use.

3.  Only way to turn this around is to sue every damn one of them in a class action because otherwise, they just will never ever change.

All the talk in the world about publicity efforts will do no good at all because views against the blind in society in general are getting worse, not better.  Fact is, we’re starting to move backwards and we may have more and more of a problem the longer we wait.


Sent from my Mac, The Only computer with full accessibility for the blind built-in

Sincerely, The Constantly Barefooted Ray,

Still a very happy Comcast XFinity Voice Guidance, Mac, Verizon Wireless iPhone7+ and Apple TV user!

> On Oct 30, 2016, at 8:51 AM, Brad Hodges via Electronics-Talk <electronics-talk at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> Colleagues:
> 
> 
> As some of you long-time Federationists may recall, a number of years 
> ago I had the privilege of working at our National Center. One of the 
> areas of research and advocacy I undertook was to begin the exploration 
> of the state of appliance accessibility. I also was pleased to have had 
> several articles published in the Braille Monitor. Entitled "Crisis For 
> The Blind at the Big Box Store" they summarized our understanding of the 
> issues and technology of the time.
> 
> 
> Fast forward more than a decade and I find myself prowling the isles of 
> big box stores and other appliance departments once again. This time as 
> a member who has an abiding interest in this topic. I intend to 
> collaborate with the Technology Team at the Jernigan Institute, to once 
> again publish a comprehensive survey of the appliance accessibility 
> landscape.
> 
> 
> To make a very long story short, most of what we observed in the early 
> 2000's still applies. So, what has changed? Why are things considerably 
> more difficult now than they were in 2004? Is it time to establish 
> standards for accessibility? Is government intervention necessary? Have 
> our expectations for accessibility changed?
> 
> 
> In posing these questions I'm hoping to expand our scope of exploration 
> and to consider additional forces and factors which contribute to the 
> bedeviling time we all have in finding a microwave oven or washing 
> machine which we can use.
> 
> 
> Yes, I'm getting to the topic you expected after reading the message 
> header. Yesterday I was shopping at my local JCPenney store. Low and 
> behold, what did I find on the second floor but a very well merchandised 
> display of major appliances from LG, Samsung and GE. Of particular 
> interest was how unfamiliar many of the models were. I have been 
> tracking availability at Lowes, Home Depot and Sears for many years. It 
> struck me, as I explored a GE front loading laundry pare, which look 
> quite usable that something which a mgr at Home Depot shared. The floor 
> space for appliance display in the big box store is rented by each 
> manufacturer. Thus the choice of which models are available for public 
> preview is controlled exclusively by those manufacturers.
> 
> 
> Do you suppose that one of the issues which contributes to the state of 
> affairs is a re tale experience which only includes a sampling of less 
> accessible or manageable products? Since I believe it to be the case 
> that relatively few models in any manufacturers lines is really usable, 
> the chances of those models not showing up in the display space is 
> perhaps quite high.
> 
> 
> In addition to the GE laundry machines, I found an LG electric range 
> with beautiful burner turn knobs on the front, and a back panel which 
> would appear to lend itself very nicely to tactile markings. Several 
> over-the-range microwaves looked promising, again to be used with 
> tactile indicators. A Samsung dishwasher with 5 easy to feel buttons 
> also intrigued.
> 
> 
> I'll return to JCPenney, this time with a camera, an extension cord, and 
> my husband to lend a hand and a pare of eyes.
> 
> 
> Hope I haven't run to long here, but there was a qualitative aspect of 
> the overall experience which I found encouraging. I also trust that as 
> we progress in collecting our findings and thoughts for a new Monitor 
> article that the collective experience of this group will help inform 
> the conversation.
> 
> 
> Brad Hodges
> 
> Huntington WV
> 
> 
> 
> 
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