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

Tue Oct 25 11:20:43 UTC 2016

Every Target I have been in has a Guest Center.  When I've needed help, 
I used the services in the Guest Center and had no such problem as you 
described.

On Tue, 25 Oct 2016, Gerald Levy via Electronics-Talk wrote:

> Date: Tue, 25 Oct 2016 07:12:45
> From: Gerald Levy via Electronics-Talk <electronics-talk at nfbnet.org>
> To: steve.jacobson at visi.com,
>     Discussion of accessible home electronics and appliances
>     <electronics-talk at nfbnet.org>
> Cc: Gerald Levy <bwaylimited at verizon.net>
> Subject: Re: [Electronics-Talk] Accessible Micro Waves, the Battle is Lost
> 
>
> 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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>
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