[nabs-l] access to Work Out Equipment

Sat Jun 13 01:28:44 UTC 2009

Jessica,

I second that!  I'd pay extra for an accessible treadmill or eliptical. 
They make so many talking devices including ones for health like talking 
thermometers  and scales.
So why hasn't someone come up with a talking piece of cardio equipment?  I 
wrote a while back about accessible appliances.  The same goes for workout 
equipment.  Just substitute appliance for cardio equipment and you have the 
same problem.
Flat screens are prevalent in fitness equipment.  The flat display allows 
you to program a workout with hills or varied resistance. It also provides 
you with great information about your workout including speed, distance, and 
estimated calories burned.  Such information is inaccessible.  Well, I have 
enough vision to read the screen and do so.  But for some that's not an 
option.

You can label the screenwith dimo tape or something for now so at least you 
can start and stop it independently.  But still the display is not 
accessible.

To answer your question, NFB is working on this I think.  Call the national 
office and ask someone in the legislative department to be sure.  NFB has 
proposed a technology bill of Rights.  I know little about it  other than it 
will mandate that new technology  includes some non visual access.  This 
probably includes those flat screens on fitness equipment.  You might want 
to bring this concern to Lisa Maria the sports and rec president and the NFB 
national office.

BTW, for now some equipment is more tactile than others.  I heard through 
the sports and rec list.
Nordic Track has a treadmill with tactile switches.
Also Precor is pretty tactile.  I used a Precor eliptical at the gym and the 
arrows for crossramp and  resistance are tactile.  The start button feels 
different too.

HTH,
Ashley

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jessica Kostiw" <jessicac.kostiw at gmail.com>
To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list" 
<nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Friday, June 12, 2009 7:10 PM
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] access to Work Out Equipment

> Hey, I apologize, I know this is an old thread.  I've been really busy and 
> am just now getting to my E mail.  I have a question.  Does anyone know if 
> NFB or ACB has ever tried to push for accessible exercise equipment?  It 
> seems to me they would make a killing!  I don't know about you, but I 
> would pay a little extra for a talking treadmill, or elliptical.
>
> Thoughts?
> Jessica Kostiw
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Ashley Bramlett" <bookwormahb at earthlink.net>
> To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list" 
> <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Monday, May 25, 2009 5:34 PM
> Subject: [nabs-l] access to appliances
>
>
>> Hi all,
>>
>> Now a days it seems like more flat pannels out there!  Many students live 
>> at home when not studying at college in the dorms.  For those of you in 
>> your own places, a question.
>>
>> How have you made your appliances accessible?  All appliances are flat: 
>> microwaves, stoves, and ovens.  Dishwashers too.  These flat touch 
>> screens can be labeled so we can use them.  Stoves are another problem 
>> though.
>> I know there are talking microwaves.  Are there other talking appliances? 
>> It would be neat to have a talking dishwasher so it could call out to you 
>> when your dishes were done!
>>
>> Do you have stoves you can feel the burners?  Most stoves now have flat 
>> tops!  I was at Sears and another store and saw this.  I don't think a 
>> flat stove would be real safe.  I have one at home here and use my vision 
>> for it.  Its harder to center the pots.  When I could touch the burners I 
>> touched them before turning on the stove.  I centered the pot and then 
>> turned the stove on.  My point being flat stoves are not as accessible!
>> When they started making flat stoves with flat burners they didn't think 
>> of low vision.
>> I have tunnel vision.  The burners are not even a different color making 
>> it hard to see!  You can only see it after the stove is turned on and the 
>> burner turns a redish color from the heat.
>>
>> Are there companies that have more accessible appliances than others?  If 
>> so, which ones? Any out there making the old type of stove where the 
>> burners were raised?
>> Just wondering what's out there.  If this is a problem, NFB should 
>> advocate for accessibility.
>>
>> Ashley
>>
>>
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