[access-uk] Re: Buying specialist technology without accessible instructions

I do it when I have a mad half hour Ray. The last things I wrote were the K-NFB Reader and the brilliant Sky Gnome reviews I think. The Sky Gnome is a mainstream product that had a good set of destructions I managed to scan.
It's not been one of my better years with pain and stuff, but you never know (smile.) 

Thanks.

Jackie
----- Original Message ----- From: "Ray's Home" <rays-home@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> 
To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thursday, October 18, 2007 3:04 PM
Subject: [access-uk] Re: Buying specialist technology without accessible instructions 



Jackie, glad we share the same cinicism though it can be
mis-interpreted at times.

Wonder if you've offered your services as a writer of distrunctions?
Seems you could be doing a similar thing to what Brian Hartgen has
done in the past, but doubt if he's much time left for that sort of
thing now.

Could be a nice little side earner.

From Ray
I can be contacted off-list at:
mailto:ray-48@xxxxxxxx


-----Original Message-----
Jackie Cairns

instructions


You're like me Ray, a cynic (smile.)  I agree with you, but a lot of
people
are slow to accept change, even when it is going to benefit them.  You
can
only lead a person to the trough, you can't make them drink the water
(lol).

When I write reviews of something useful, I try to compile them as if
I were
the user just opening the box and wanting to get on with it.  And I
try to
make them accessible (smile.)  Manuals, help files and destructions
just tie
me in knots, and completely defeat the purpose for which they are
intended.
They are often too wordy and, it sometimes has to be said,
patronising.

Jackie
----- Original Message -----
From: "Ray's Home" <rays-home@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thursday, October 18, 2007 1:53 PM
Subject: [access-uk] Re: Buying specialist technology without
accessible
instructions



Well, as far as I'm concerned Jackie, there are some who are just
going to have to accommodate change, rather than being

'accommodated'

with provision of the tape format they're used to.  I cannot see

that

this can go on for ever.

Having expressed my impatience with this attitude, I'll move on
swiftly and say we do live in a world of compromises, so for those
lucky enough to have such an on-the-ball local vol org, as yours

seems

to be Jackie, I can see a local service dragging out the unnatural
life of cassettes where by people are sent CDs but get them
transferred to audio cassette.  Nice job for a nice little blindy, ,
sitting in a corner doing the transfers, LOL.

Memory card prices will fall of course, and I would say some

machines

now, like the Olympus recorders, might point the way to a viable
replacement for the venerable cassette.  I also think some
communication with a manufacturer in the R and D side of things

could

bring to market a machine with all the desirable aspects of ease of
operation that many find in the aging cassette.

As for comments about distructions' no need, surely, for such
despaired.  A bit of well earned value added could be justified in
properly thought out user guides.  Rarely, these days, could a
straight transcription of instructions work anyway.  They're so

visual

now.  Straight transcription would 'destroy' the usefulness of them.

Cheers,

From Ray
I can be contacted off-list at:
mailto:ray-48@xxxxxxxx


-----Original Message-----
Jackie Cairns


Ray, RNIB are seemingly at a loss full stop, but that's another

matter

altogether so I won't go there.

I have to say that our local Society does a tremendous amount to
ensure that
the needs of clients are met regarding formats, digital switch-over,
DAB,
DAISY and whatever else.  Our Chief Executive must be one of the
luckiest
blokes on this planet to have such a loyal, hardworking band of

staff

who go
a few extra miles for their clients.

The population of registered blind or visually impaired individuals

in

Fife
has a very high percentage of elderly people, and I'm still always
hearing a
lot of them saying they want their tapes for everything.

Food for thought indeed.  I'm off to get some lunch (smile.)

Jackie
----- Original Message -----
From: "Ray's Home" <rays-home@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thursday, October 18, 2007 11:48 AM
Subject: [access-uk] Re: Buying specialist technology without
accessible
instructions



Jackie, your comments are true enough;  but we are bound to see a

more

rapid increase in the take up of digital playback devices from now

on,

I think.

Many people now have DAISY machines, which, amongst other things,

can

remember where you got to on a CD.  I don't know what percentage of
the registered blind population do in fact have one, but RNIB

talking

book membership is 40,000 or more now, or so they tell us, so, am I
right in thinking this represents a fair chunk of the VI community?

I would hazard the opinion that RNIB might do well to make a DAISY

CD

player available at a substantial discount - a Victor or Plextor -

so

that we might fairly assume that a large proportion of the market
needing accessible instructions could, at least, read them in this
way, as well as a print manual being supplied.

I might add too that RNIB could see such a subsidy in the light of
being able to communicate more easily with its own customers too!
(RNIB themselves seemingly are at a loss to know the best way of
keeping in touch with the majority of customers, given a thread on

the

RNIB Arena list recently.)

The  local vol orgs could do a lot more too I think.  Too many of

them

seem, to me, to stay aloof from the needs of their users, including
getting involved with help and advice over suitable replacements

for

audio cassette which, like it or not, like digital switchover,

people

aren't going to be able to bury their heads in the sand for much
longer.

Cheers,

From Ray
I can be contacted off-list at:
mailto:ray-48@xxxxxxxx

-----Original Message-----
Jackie Cairns


In an ideal world Dave that would be great, but the reality is it

will

never
happen, and if it does, it'll be long after our time (smile.)

As I've said, I think there is a good and fair point of view

expressed

by
all contributors to this thread.  I did use the word personally
earlier, and
my view is to see at least one accessible format included in access
technology equipment big or small.  But what format that is will
always be
up for debate.  I just know from years of experience, and my

voluntary

involvement with our local Society for the Blind, that a lot of

people

still
want tape.  It's not my format, but they argue that it can be put

into

a
deck and played.  Then, when they go back to it later on, it stays

in

the
same place, and is easy to rewind.

Asking what the person wants is always preferable, but some don't

ask.


Anyway, I'm getting sore from trying to sit on the fence so I'll

climb

down
now (smile.)  It's an interesting one.

Jackie
----- Original Message -----
From: "Ankers, Dave (UK)" <Dave.Ankers@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thursday, October 18, 2007 11:11 AM
Subject: [access-uk] Re: Buying specialist technology without
accessible
instructions



Jackie,

You are quite right! It amazes me how manufacturers of products for
blind, vision impaired equipment forget who the end user is when it
comes to packaging and instructions.   We don't want fancy coloured
font
and pictures on packaging and why on earth do they include small

print

instructions?  Surely they should have the common sense to include
instructions in at least 16 point Arial font and an audio CD, plus

a

website where the operating instructions can be read or downloaded
from.

Something I would like all manufacturers to build in to all

electrical

products, is an audio describer switch, which when in use,

describes

the
position or operation of switches and buttons.
Imagine using a standard washing machine fitted with this function,
with
the audio describer turned on, all the buttons can be pressed until
the
required button is found and dials turned to the required position,
then
when the audio describer is turned off, the buttons pressed again

with

audio confirmation of the function and the machine started.  Now

apply

that to remote controls, microwaves, cookers, central heating
controls,
mp3 players, basically anything.  If manufacturers built the

feature

into all their products, then the cost would be minimal and when
someone
looses their sight, they won't loose the ability to use their
equipment
and have to fork out lots of money to get something that is
accessible.

Dave

On the subject of buying specialist technology with inaccessible
instructions, I'll be very careful how I phrase this because it's
something I've beefed about for years, and it still goes on.

In my personal and humble opinion, wherever a company - no matter

who

that retailer is - sells a product or service to someone with a

visual

impairment, the instructions accompanying that item should be in an
alternative format to standard print.  How can we have the DDA in

this

country if those who have direct influence to ensure accessibility

is

met don't in fact comply?

We have invested a lot of money on access technology over the

years,

yet
I still find myself having to request materials in my preferred
format.

Using the examples of both the Colorino and talking tape measure

from

Caretec, neither has accessible instructions, even though I have
sussed
out how to use them satisfactorily.  But that isn't the point.  If

I

could read the instructions, I could surely see to use an ordinary
measure and not need a detector to tell me my colours?

That's where I'm coming from anyway, and I mean no disrespect to

any

retailer or individual on the list.  Most companies that deal with
specialist equipment do offer alternative formats, whether it be
through
intuitive help on the device itself, or instructions and quick

start

references that accompany it.  But there is still an issue with

this.


Jackie


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