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 PMSubject: [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 instructionsJackie, your comments are true enough; but we are bound to see amorerapid increase in the take up of digital playback devices from nowon,I think. Many people now have DAISY machines, which, amongst other things,canremember where you got to on a CD. I don't know what percentage of the registered blind population do in fact have one, but RNIBtalkingbook 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 DAISYCDplayer available at a substantial discount - a Victor or Plextor -sothat 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 ontheRNIB Arena list recently.) The local vol orgs could do a lot more too I think. Too many ofthemseem, 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,peoplearen'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 itwillnever 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 viewexpressedby 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 myvoluntaryinvolvement with our local Society for the Blind, that a lot ofpeoplestill want tape. It's not my format, but they argue that it can be putintoa deck and played. Then, when they go back to it later on, it staysinthe same place, and is easy to rewind. Asking what the person wants is always preferable, but some don'task.Anyway, I'm getting sore from trying to sit on the fence so I'llclimbdown 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 smallinstructions? 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 allelectricalproducts, 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 againwithaudio confirmation of the function and the machine started. Nowapplythat 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 matterwhothat retailer is - sells a product or service to someone with avisualimpairment, the instructions accompanying that item should be in an alternative format to standard print. How can we have the DDA inthiscountry if those who have direct influence to ensure accessibilityismet 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 measurefromCaretec, 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 withthis.Jackie** To leave the list, click on the immediately-following link:- ** [mailto:access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=unsubscribe] ** If this link doesn't work then send a message to: ** access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx ** and in the Subject line type ** unsubscribe ** For other list commands such as vacation mode, click on the ** immediately-following link:- ** [mailto:access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=faq] ** or send a message, to ** access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the Subject:- faq -- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Free Edition.Version: 7.5.488 / Virus Database: 269.15.0/1076 - Release Date: 17/10/2007 19:53
** To leave the list, click on the immediately-following link:- ** [mailto:access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=unsubscribe] ** If this link doesn't work then send a message to: ** access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx ** and in the Subject line type ** unsubscribe ** For other list commands such as vacation mode, click on the ** immediately-following link:- ** [mailto:access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=faq] ** or send a message, to ** access-uk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the Subject:- faq
