[access-uk] Re: Buying specialist technology without accessible instructions
- From: "Wendy Sharpe" <w.sharpe@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 18 Oct 2007 22:58:15 +0100
Dave
Your suggestion about audio described controls would certainly help a lot,
and it is the opposite way of thinking which Pure used for the Sonus 1XT.
They decided to make just one radio accessible with speech, whereas if they
made all their radios this way they would not have had to worry about sales
and then stopped making the Sonus. I think we may get there in the end, but
it will take a lot of work persuading manufacturers to jump on the band
waggon.
Wendy
-----Original Message-----
From: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of
Ankers, Dave (UK)
Sent: 18 October 2007 11:12
To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
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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