[Nfbc-info] Marking washers and dryer's

[Tim Elder]

Great advice.


-----Original Message-----
From: Nfbc-info [mailto:nfbc-info-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Brian
Buhrow via Nfbc-info
Sent: Monday, January 18, 2016 11:22 PM
To: NFB of California List
Cc: Brian Buhrow
Subject: Re: [Nfbc-info] Marking washers and dryer's

	Hello Lisa.  I have a couple of suggestions that may help.  They
assume you are proficient with braile, at least enough to be able to read a
few letters or a word or two.  I'm also assuming, based on your e-mail, that
the building management is ok with you marking machines with tactile
markings.

1.  If the buttons on the washer and dryer are flat non-tactile buttons and
you can't distinguish them by touch when they're unmarked:

A.  Acquire some sheets of Braille-On, available from aph.org as well as
other places.  These come in 8-1/2 X 11 sheets.

B. Cut a shape out of one of the sheets of Braille-On corresponding to the
portion of the control panel for the washer and dryer such that a single
sheet of braille-on can be used to cover all the buttons of a single
machine.  Make a template for a washer and one for a dryer.

C.  Using a Perkins Brailler or slate and stylus, braile a short
abbreviation or word for each of the buttons the braille-on will cover.
You'll need to work with someone to make sure you understand the size and
shape of the buttons you're covering, as well as their layout so that you
can align the braille messages with their corresponding buttons.  Because
the braille-on is a bit expensive, you may want to experiment with the
template building by using sheets of regular paper to begin with.  Then,
when you know how much braille you can fit on each button and where each
button is relative to your template, you can then make the real one using
the expensive adhesive plastic.  While the braille-on is transparent, it
does add some "fuzz"to the surface of the machine, so be sure not to cover
any digital displays with the braille-on or the other users will complain.

D.  Once you have a template, clean the surface of the machine you want to
install it on.  Then, peel the backing off of the braille-on and place it on
the machine's control panel.  Make sure it lines up with and is oriented
correctly for the control panel.

E.  Repeat steps B through D for each machine you want to augment.

F.  The finished product using this technique looks a lot more professional
than a series of small pieces of label-on which fall off easily as you've
already discovered.  Also, This technique leaves the surface of the control
panel smooth, meaning it can be cleaned and the marks won't fall off if a
bit of water gets on the control surface.  I've used this technique a number
of times.  My stove, which has a smooth glass control panel for the oven
controls, got this treatment over 10 years ago and the labeling is still as
fresh, clean and crisp as it was the day I made it.

2.  If the buttons on the washer and dryer are tactile and distinguishable
by touch:

A.  Acquire some sheets of Braille-On, available from aph.org as well as
other places.  These come in 8-1/2 X 11 sheets.

B. Cut a shape out of one of the sheets of Braille-On corresponding to the
portion of the control panel for the washer and dryer such that a single
sheet of braille-on can be used to cover all the buttons of a single
machine.  Make a template for a washer and one for a dryer.

C.  Using a Perkins Brailler or slate and stylus, braile a short
abbreviation or word for each of the buttons the braille-on will cover.
You'll need to work with someone to make sure you understand the size and
shape of the buttons you're covering, as well as their layout so that you
can align the braille messages with their corresponding buttons.  Because
the braille-on is a bit expensive, you may want to experiment with the
template building by using sheets of regular paper to begin with.  Then,
when you know how much braille you can fit on each button and where each
button is relative to your template, you can then make the real one using
the expensive adhesive plastic.  

D.  Once you have a template, find a 3-ring binder or use a spiral bound 8
- 1/2" X 11" notebook with nice thick card stock as its pages.

E.  For each machine type that you want to use, i.e. each different kind of
washer, each different kind of dryer, create a page in your notebook and
label it at the top.  If all the washers are of the same type and  the
dryers are of the same type, then you'll only need to create two pages, one
for the washer and one for the dryer.


F.  Under the label for each page, peel the backing off of the  braille-on
for the template you created in step C above and place it on the page below
the label.   I.e. place the template for the washers under the label
"washer" in your notebook.

G.  Depending on the size of your template, you may be able to  add
operating instructions to the same page of the notebook so you know which
sequence to use to get the desired settings.  If not, you can add additional
pages to the notebook with notes about how to use the buttons on each page.

H.  When you next need to do laundry, take your notebook with you to the
laundry room and use the template you created to figure out which buttons
are which.  You'll also have your notes on how to set the machine up  in the
desired manner.

	This technique has the advantage that it doesn't restrict you to
using only one or two machines in the laundry room.  Also, after you do
laundry a few times, you probably won't need the notebook quite as much, but
you'll always have it, just in case.

	While you could make the template in the notebook without using the
braille-on, the braille-on will hold up much better as time goes by and you
consult the book with fingers that are damp because you're doing laundry.

	I think the process of making these templates will take you and a
helper a couple of hours to complete.  I'd suggest geting a good friend to
assist you in exchange for dinner.  If that's not an option, you may be able
to hire a reader for that time.  The process will get faster as you learn to
do it.

	I used the notebook trick in the early days of ATM machines.  I
dragged my father down to the bank and we explored every menu option on the
ATM I was interested in, i.e. withdrawals, deposits and balance inquiries.
We then went home with extensive notes and I brailed an instruction manual
for myself, with all of the screen options, which button activated which
option and what all of the sub-menus were.  that book served me well for a
number of years.  (That trick doesn't work as well today with ATM machines
because they're always updating the software in them and the menu options
keep changing.)  However, I think it will work very well for your laundry
room.

	If any of this is confusing, feel free to rite me privately and we
can arrange a phone call to discuss.

Good luck and happy laundering!

-Brian


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