[Electronics-Talk] Accessible Micro Waves, the Battle is Lost

Tue Oct 25 11:12:45 UTC 2016

Okay, here's the bottom line.  There are very few, if any,  stores that will 
demonstrate microwave ovens for you.  Certainly not Best Buy or Home Depot 
or Lowe's or WalMart or Target.  In many cases, they don't even have units 
on display.  They are simply stacked up on the sales floor in their original 
cartons, and in most cases, a sales person won't even take a unit  out of 
the box so that you can at least feel the touchpad and get some idea of 
whether it could be made accessible with tactile markers.  And actually 
plugging it in to demonstrate it?  If you ask a salesperson to do this, 
they'll just laugh you out of the store. Big box retailers are only 
interested in maximizing sales, not personalized attention.  And good luck 
finding a salesperson in the first place.  Certainly not at my local Target, 
where you are basically on your own.  They have maybe two or three microwave 
ovens on display.  The rest are simply piled up in their original cartons 
ready to be picked up and schlepped to the check-out counter.

Gerald

-----Original Message----- 
From: Steve Jacobson via Electronics-Talk
Sent: Monday, October 24, 2016 9:16 PM
To: 'Discussion of accessible home electronics and appliances'
Cc: Steve Jacobson
Subject: Re: [Electronics-Talk] Accessible Micro Waves, the Battle is Lost

Jim and Annette,

If this is the issue, I apologize for appearing to pile on, so to speak.  I
didn't see this described in the most recent note, though, and the subject
got my attention.

For the very little it is worth, the overhead microwaves don't seem to be
substantially different in their controls from what I've seen, but checking
for certain if the buttons are activated by pressure would certainly be
reasonable.  One approach I would take if confronted with the same thing is
to contact the manufacturer as they may be able to answer questions.  I
would also explain that they are being called because the seller would not
even permit plugging the unit in.

Best regards,

Steve Jacobson

-----Original Message-----
From: Electronics-Talk [mailto:electronics-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Jim McCarthy via Electronics-Talk
Sent: Monday, October 24, 2016 4:33 PM
To: 'Discussion of accessible home electronics and appliances'
<electronics-talk at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Jim McCarthy <jmccarthy at mdtap.org>
Subject: Re: [Electronics-Talk] Accessible Micro Waves, the Battle is Lost

Peter,
I do not think Annette has an issue with doing some labeling. She has posted
several items on this thread over the last couple weeks. She wants or needs
a particular kind of microwave, one that mounts above the range and includes
an exhaust fan. She has found appliance sellers unwilling to plug in
possible items in order that she can test them to be sure that she buys
something that she can make accessible to her. There are coming to be
classes of home appliances that are becoming impossible of being made
accessible, though I cannot say that microwaves have arrived in that
category of device yet. When we say that all it takes is to add braille
labels as we have done forever, that assumes that the controls require some
pressure to activate. If they can be activated by proximity of the finger to
the control, a blind user will need to get quite good at knowing the layout
of her unit. Some may be able to do this, but many of us will not, I think.
It is my opinion that the present legal landscape would not protect blind
purchasers of appliances for finding that there are none in a category that
they can use. I am not certain of the best answer but am definitely troubled
by the possibility that someday I will want an oven and be able to find none
me and my blind wife and cook can use.
Best
Jim McCarthy

-----Original Message-----
From: Electronics-Talk [mailto:electronics-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Peter Donahue via Electronics-Talk
Sent: Monday, October 24, 2016 5:13 PM
To: Discussion of accessible home electronics and appliances
Cc: Peter Donahue
Subject: Re: [Electronics-Talk] Accessible Micro Waves, the Battle is Lost

Good afternoon Anet and everyone,

     This is easier to solve than you seem to believe. It's just a matter of
labeling the touchPad with Braille labels. We faced the same challenge when
we got our latest microwave and moved into our current apartment. The oven
controlls were inaccessible. We made Braille labels and placed them on the
control pad in the appropriate places and can now use it independently. Have
you explored the possibility of buying a microwave or other appliance that
can be controlled by an App on your iDevice or Androide Device?

Peter Donahue

Annette Carr via Electronics-Talk wrote:
> Hi All,
>
>
>
> Well I am at a dead-end when it comes to finding an accessible over
> the range microwave.  They just do not exist.  We are left with no
> option but to purchase one that I cannot use as we need the exhaust.
> We cannot just replace the microwave with a traditional exhaust hood
> as we would have to replace the cabinet above the range to position
> the hood at the required height.  Well, that is not going to happen
> since it is not possible to match a new cabinets to the existing cabinets.
>
>
>
> The appliance manufacturers think that making an appliance ADA
> accessible requires them to only meet physical access requirements.
> Access for the blind is not even a consideration.  It is just a matter
> of time before access to all appliances are out of our reach.
>
>
>
> Annette
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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