[blindza] FW: Talking website eyes fashion for the blind
- From: "Jacob Kruger" <jacobk@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "BlindZA" <blindza@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 15 Jul 2007 08:01:46 +0200
Nice idea to a certain extent.
Stay well
Jacob Kruger
Blind Biker
------------------------------original message---
Subject: Talking website eyes fashion for the blind
Reuters
Friday, July 13, 2007
Talking website eyes fashion for the blind
Fri Jul 13, 2007 1:38PM EDT
ROME (Reuters Life!) - Two American students are launching a new talking Web
site that helps blind people pick and buy trendy clothing that is fitted
with
braille tags and then sent to their doorstep.
The sound-activated
www.whitecanelabel.com
Web site, due to go online in the fall, will ask users what their fashion
likes and dislikes are and recommend clothes ranging from casual to evening
wear
based on those preferences.
A braille tag that includes the designer's name, type of clothing such as a
"blouse" or a "t-shirt", size, color and symbols to help in piecing together
certain look like "business casual" is attached to the clothes ordered and
then mailed out.
"The central point is to give blind and visually impaired people more
independence in choosing their clothing," co-founder Asmah Abushagur said
during
Rome's summer fashion week where the initiative was launched.
"If someone wants say, a black business suit, then we can help them put that
together."
The Rochester Institute of Technology students say they stumbled on the idea
after discovering the difficulties blind people have in picking an outfit
to wear and having to rely on family and friends for it.
So far, the main methods used are metal tags or attaching different numbers
of clothes pins or slits to outfits to indicate various colors.
"It started off as a school project, you know, how can I get an 'A'?" said
co-founder Jaimen Brill. "But then we saw the options blind people have."
Though the venture is a non-profit effort and is asking designers to donate
clothes, the outfits will be sold at retail prices to prevent shoppers who
are not blind from using the Web site to take advantage of a good bargain.
http://www.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUSL138578120070713
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