[nfbmi-talk] Fwd: You can help make appliances accessible to the blind

Fri Mar 21 20:18:46 UTC 2014

This is a great one.  It came to the list a few weeks back and several of us signed it at that time, but it is great to have a second chance for anyone who may have missed the petition last time.  

On Mar 21, 2014, at 1:52 PM, Kane Brolin <kbrolin65 at gmail.com> wrote:

> Hello to all.
> 
> I have received this petition just this morning from a blind gentleman
> in California who happens to be one of my LinkedIn contacts.  Because
> this is a very important issue to all blind consumers irrespective of
> affiliation, I thought to send this to a couple of lists and to
> several others whom I know in both NFB and ACB.  I'm definitely
> signing this one immediately.
> 
> Kind regards,
> 
> -Kane
> 
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: Todd Lively <drawtheline1980 at gmail.com>
> Date: Thu, 20 Mar 2014 20:43:28 -0500
> Subject: You can help make appliances accessible to the blind
> To: John Strother <jdstrother at gmail.com>, Jon Davis
> <honorgod38 at yahoo.com>, Jose Alvarez <joseis at uic.edu>, Josh Ullrich
> <jullrich at oafirm.com>, Josh Young <joshyoung325 at gmail.com>, Juan Ortiz
> <Juan.Ortiz at illinois.gov>, Judith West <judith.west at illinois.gov>,
> Julie Lyons <jmb0199 at aol.com>, Kane Brolin <kbrolin65 at gmail.com>,
> "Kane Brolin (work)" <Kane.K.Brolin at ampf.com>, Kanesia Hawthorne
> <gemininene at yahoo.com>, Karen Kieca <karenk at csi-chicago.net>, Karine
> Roettgers <kroettgers at blindserviceassociation.org>, Ken Metz
> <kenmetz1946 at gmail.com>, Kensen Lam <klam at parkcommunitychurch.org>,
> Kevin Howells <khowells at parkcommunitychurch.org>, Kim Klepec
> <kimklepec at gmail.com>, "Leighton Reid Jr."
> <leightonreid at bellsouth.net>, Leighton V Reid <fishin at cvalley.net>,
> Les Alderson <ald57son at aol.com>, Lindsey Rice
> <lrice at parkcommunitychurch.org>, Loretta Reinitz Brown
> <jarjar2smom at yahoo.com>, Lucas Bauer <lbauer1281 at yahoo.com>, Marco
> David <marco_a_david at yahoo.com>, "Margarine G. Beaman"
> <Oleo50 at hotmail.com>, Mark D Johnson <cityteam at aol.com>, Mark Eldredge
> <eldredge at mchsi.com>, Mark W Johnson <adfocus at gmail.com>, Mary
> Abramson <mmba27 at att.net>, "Mary Abramson (work)"
> <mary.abramson at chicagolighthouse.org>, Maureen Roach
> <maroach at ilstu.edu>, Max Lee <ntstudies at gmail.com>, Michael King
> <michaelk54 at yahoo.com>, Mike & Sheri Zigmond
> <michaelzigmond at gmail.com>, Mike Fratto <fratto.michael at gmail.com>,
> Mike James <mjmikejames at yahoo.com>, Mike Paisley
> <mpaisley at wowway.com>, Mike Rosenau <rosenaumichael at yahoo.com>, Mike
> Velasquez <mavelasquezjr at gmail.com>, Mike Wilkinson
> <m.wilkinson58 at yahoo.com>, Mohan Krishna <mohankrishna at yahoo.com>,
> Morry LaTour <latourm at insightbb.com>, Nick Powell
> <nick at powelldorf.net>, Noah Siemon <nsiemon06 at yahoo.com>, Paul Center
> <paul at rods4fishing.com>, Paul Parr <pparr529 at gmail.com>, Paul Wilson
> <tm.paul.wilson at austin.rr.com>, Rex Ransom <rexransom at hotmail.com>,
> Rhonda Young <rlyoung325 at gmail.com>, Richard Bley
> <richard at iwanries.com>, Rick Gazlay <gazlayrick2 at gmail.com>, RL
> Bartlett <rlb19 at hal-pc.org>, Robert Soltys <rsolty1 at gmail.com>, Robin
> Johnson <Erin.johnson at mcleancountyil.gov>, Robin Stockard
> <robinstockard at gmail.com>, roger johnson <rogerjohnson3115 at gmail.com>,
> Roger Pryor <roger at heartcc.org>, Rolland Hobbie
> <rolland.hobbie at gmail.com>, Roy Lyons <royjlyons at gmail.com>, Ryan
> Breen <rjbreen at yahoo.com>, Sally Walsh <swalsh at richland.edu>, Scott
> Clifton <sclifton at parkcommunitychurch.org>, Scott Kemp
> <sakemp at comcast.net>, Shane Smith <ssconst69 at hotmail.com>, Shawn
> Woodson <shawnwoodson at gmail.com>, Shelly Punke
> <shellypunke at gmail.com>, Stephen Michael Kerr <stephen at majic.com>,
> Stephen Parkinson <Quietman7 at comcast.net>, Steven Stahl
> <stevenalanstahl at hotmail.com>, stevenalanstahl at yahoo.com, Sukyung Lee
> <sukyungbbc at yahoo.com>, Terry Bodin <t.bodin at sbcglobal.net>, Terry
> Marx <marxbrother3 at gmail.com>, Tim Berndt <tdberndt at frontier.com>, Tim
> Weniger <tweniger63 at gmail.com>, Todd Lyons <todd at lyons-family.net>,
> Tom Dechert <tomdechert at gmail.com>, Tom Hushka <hushkatom at yahoo.com>,
> Tom Pettit <momentom13 at hotmail.com>, Tom Rice
> <pastorrice53 at yahoo.com>, Tom William <senixo at yahoo.com>, William
> Meier <bmeier at parkcommunitychurch.org>
> 
>            Hello friends, today I signed an online petition to make
> manufacturers of appliances aware of the need to make them accessible to
> those who are blind/visually impaired. I have placed the link where you can
> sign and let manufactures know how important it is to make appliances
> accessible below. Below you will also find a paragraph detailing the reason
> why this crusade is so important. When you fill this petition out, there
> will be a box to type the reason for this issue being so important. Here is
> the reason:
> 
> 
> 
> Appliance manufacturers have been reluctant to build inexpensive voice/touch
> technology into their products, thereby making them inaccessible to the
> blind.  There are approximately seven million blind or low-vision people
> living in the United States today, and that number is growing every day, due
> to causes ranging from birth defects, diabetes, to combat injuries, etc.  We
> clean, do laundry, iron, sew, and travel independently. We are foodservice
> managers, attorneys, scientists and more.  And yet, when it comes to
> operating our touch panel home appliances we are practically helpless.
> Why?, because appliance manufacturers refuse to incorporate inexpensive
> technology that already exists such as those used in smartphones and iPads
> that make their flat panel appliances accessible to the blind.
> 
> 
> By including audio cues, speech output, or tactile buttons, manufacturers
> will reduce the likelihood that a blind or sighted person will inadvertently
> touch a spot on a panel and turn on a burner without knowing it, potentially
> causing a fire or serious personal injury. Without accessible technology
> being offered to consumers, people who were once able to cook and clean
> independently could well find themselves unable to live alone in their own
> homes.
> 
> 
> But it doesn't have to be this way! If manufacturers incorporate inexpensive
> audio and/or tactile technology into their products, they will make a huge
> difference in the safety of the blind and others as well as the ability of
> the blind to continue to lead their lives independently, while
> simultaneously gaining thousands, if not millions, of newly satisfied
> customers. This is good for blind people who will remain independent; good
> for manufacturers who will sell products that the blind can use and that are
> safer for all who buy them; and good for society, which will not be asked to
> help normally competent human beings live in assisted living or nursing
> facilities simply because new appliances do not have displays they can read.
> 
> 
> Please go to:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> <http://www.change.org/petitions/association-of-home-appliance-manufacturers
> -incorporate-voice-technology-audio-queues-and-or-tactile-buttons-into-your-
> flat-panel-appliances-to-make-them-accessible-to-the-blind-and-those-with-lo
> w-vision?utm_source=guides&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=petition_created>
> http://www.change.org/petitions/association-of-home-appliance-manufacturers-
> incorporate-voice-technology-audio-queues-and-or-tactile-buttons-into-your-f
> lat-panel-appliances-to-make-them-accessible-to-the-blind-and-those-with-low
> -vision
> 
> 
> 
> Thank you very much.
> 
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