[VendTalk] Accessible Vending Machines

[Kyle Garcia]

Hello,

I am doing some research for my work on what vending machine options are out there and figured it would be worth seeing if anyone on this list has some leads on models that are more accessible for the customer. Similarly, are there any exceptionally inaccessible ones to avoid? At my work, Blind Industries and Services of Maryland, we currently have a snack and drink machine at each of our locations, with not all locations having the same models. While both at my worksite can be operated with keypads assuming you know the number of the item you want, there have been complaints from associates having difficulty using the machines non-visually. I have already put forward the suggestion of creating a list of items to have with the machines so that item numbers can be easily sourced. My supervisor is open to other types of machines as well if there is say a super accessible coffee or food machine that we could add as an additional option. So far, my research has turned up that the majority of machines on the market are more or less the same operationally with the largest difference being some have touchscreens which typically decrease accessibility further.

In my sense, an ideal machine would have individual buttons for items so that a label could easily be added for what each button is, or a touchscreen model where a screen reader could be utilized similarly to an accessible fast food ordering kiosk. I know there are older drink machines with individual buttons for each item, however those seem to usually have a low number of selection options, and are limited to bottled drinks only.

Thank you in advance,

Kyle Garcia (he/him)
Intern
Blind Industries and Services of Maryland (BISM)
3345 Washington Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21227
Phone: 410-737-2663
Email: kgarcia at bism.org<mailto:kgarcia at bism.org>