[visionrehabtherapist] Re: High Prices of Products for Persons with Visual Impairments

  • From: "Kay Townsend" <ktownsend@xxxxxxxxx>
  • To: <tterlau@xxxxxxx>, "'Penny Reeder'" <penny.reeder@xxxxxxxxx>, <visionrehabtherapist@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Tue, 9 Nov 2010 10:21:08 -0500

This supply and demand concept was played out with the introduction of
talking watches and calculators years ago.  

 

Originally watches started at around $50.00 and calculators about the same.
A clock/calculator was about $80.00.

 

The fortunate thing is that the general public found these devices fun and
helpful and so the number of buyers grew and the costs went down.
Unfortunately, in some cases, so did the quality in some areas.

 

Kay Townsend, MA

Certified Vision Rehabilitation Therapist

 

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From: visionrehabtherapist-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:visionrehabtherapist-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Terrie
Terlau
Sent: Friday, November 05, 2010 11:42 AM
To: 'Penny Reeder'; visionrehabtherapist@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [visionrehabtherapist] High Prices of Products for Persons with
Visual Impairments

 

Hi Penny and all,

Penny wrote to me privately about the very high prices of technology for
persons with visual impairments. I wanted to share my reply with the list.

 

I agree with Penny that products for persons with visual impairments are
horribly expensive. Here is a glimpse into why this is unfortunately so.
I'll use Sherlock as an example, but what I am writing applies to other
products as well.

 

First, the Sherlock uses high tech devices and materials in addition to the
digital recorder. The RFID tag reader is imbedded in the end of the
Sherlock. It is somewhat costly.

 

Second, the Sherlock must combine and connect the info picked up from the
RFID tag reader with a digital recording of information such that the
recording is triggered whenever the specific RFID pattern is "seen" by the
reader. Most other applications of RFID technology (for example, when used
to identify cartons of store goods on shipping trucks and in warehouses)
link the specific RFID pattern to a visual readout. So new engineering and
materials were probably developed to link tag information to a segment of
storage space in digital recorder memory. This is expensive and its cost
needs to be added to the product.

 

Third, the market is small. When Apple makes a new iPhone, they prepare to
manufacture millions of them. You can get very cheap prices when you buy
parts in quantity and manufacture in bulk. When you buy perhaps one thousand
cases - plus making the injection mold for a case which is costly - you pay
a great deal per case. This is true for the case and every piece of unique
technology inside it. This is unfortunately true of anything that you buy
and manufacture in small quantities. 

 

Fourth, consider the added expense of customer service departments, shipping
departments, warehouses for storing items till they are shipped-and you can
see where the high price comes from.

 

I do not say the above to defend high prices; I wish they could be lower. It
is not fair. Unfortunately, it is reality based and not about high profits.
The more we can use mainstream parts and devices, the more prices will come
down. I think we are seeing this trend. I hope this is helpful. 

 

Best,

Terrie Terlau, American printing House

 

Terrie (Mary T). Terlau, PhD

Adult Life Project Leader

American Printing House for the Blind

502.899.2381

tterlau@xxxxxxx

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