[Nfbc-info] Los Angeles Inaccessible Taxi Touchscreens

[Tim Elder]

Hello everyone,

NFB's legal team is investigating the accessibility of touchscreen
technology used in Los Angeles taxicabs.  We would like to hear from any
members in the Los Angeles area who have encountered touchscreens in
taxicabs.  

The touchscreen in the taxicab may allow a passenger to review fare
information, pay with a credit card, allocate a tip and provide other useful
transit information.  

Our team wants to hear about your experiences with this technology.  For
example, does your driver have to find a place to park the vehicle, operate
the touchscreen from the backseat on your behalf and then enter in their own
tip amount?

As you can imagine, we would like the information displayed on the
touchscreen to be independently accessible.  Some manufacturers of taxicab
touchscreens have already built text-to-speech into their equipment.
However, other manufacturers have resisted making their designs
independently accessible to blind passengers.

As the pervasive public touchscreen exponentially becomes part of daily
life, we need to ensure that all blind people will be able to use them.  

Please don't respond to this post on the list.  Instead, call me, Tim Elder,
at 410.415.3493 or email at telder[at]trelegal[dot com].

I will also be attending the NFBC state convention in October.  I will be
available to speak with attendees about this issue.  But don't delay.
Please call or email me at your earliest convenience.

My Best,

Timothy Elder 
Attorney 
TRE Legal Practice, LLC 
1126 East 36th Street 
Baltimore, MD 21218 
Phone: (410) 415-3493 
Fax: (888) 718-0617 
E-mail: telder at trelegal.com 
www.trelegal.com 
Please consider the environment before printing this email.