[access-uk] Re: Buying specialist technology without accessible instructions
- From: "Ray's Home" <rays-home@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 18 Oct 2007 15:04:16 +0100
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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