Hi all,
Basically it is a half assed attitude towards items for VI individuals. This is
especially accurate for the market over here in the UK. Everything for everyday
use, watches are either basic, unreliable, expensive or just damn ugly. In the
past I purchased from the US, buying a sports talking watch with multiple
alarms, dual time and stopwatch for £15 for 2 of them, which included postage.
Other items, such as multimeters have to be purchased from across the pond, as
I thank the kind person on this list who made that possible!
As someone who wired a new house on their own, cut, machined and built kitchen
and bedroom furniture and installed it with my Brother (as a business) I get
frustrated at being able to buy quality products. For example, measuring
devices which aren't fickle, and stop working if exposed to microscopic amounts
of dust.
Sorry for the rant, but for the money these organisations spend in making their
own items, which they are so fearful that someone else will take it from them,
they could work with other companies who have already designed the wheel, so to
speak. In cases where they could work with major companies, which I am sure
they could, if they realllllllly tried, would prevent small companies like
TVonics for example going into administration within weeks of launching an
accessible product.
Kindest,
Mike
-----Original Message-----
From: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of ;
Jackie Brown
Sent: 01 March 2018 10:16
To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [access-uk] Re: products made for the blind
Hi Alison
One product I wanted in recent times was a blood pressure monitor sold by RNIB
and possibly available on Amazon. The issue I had immediately was that you
needed sighted assistance to set the time and date, without that, it wouldn't
measure my blood pressure. Sadly, the Caretec version is no more which was
fully accessible. I do get irritated when I hear of a product purporting to be
accessible, only to find the caveat that you need sight for something or other.
This is not exclusive to RNIB either so I'm not knocking anybody in
particular. I do see a shift though in more mainstream products becoming more
accessible, but that's all well and good if you can use Smart devices and
touchscreens for accessing accompanying apps.
Kind regards,
Jackie Brown
Email: Jackieannbrown62@xxxxxxxxx
Check out my website: www.thebrownsplace.info Follow me on Twitter:
@thebrownsplace Skype name: thejackmate
-----Original Message-----
From: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of ;
CJ&AA MAY
Sent: 01 March 2018 10:05
To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [access-uk] Re: products made for the blind
Widening this topic, I am disappointed about how few products these days are
being made to suit the needs of those with little or no sight. There was a time
when the RNIB catalogue regularly introduced new products, like talking radio
alarm clocks, talking kitchen scales etc. Now this rarely happens. Why, for
example, isn't there an accessible DAB radio? An accessible bread-maker? Etc.
There is an increasing number of digital productgs which are inaccessible to
those who cannot see the digital display.
Instead the catalogue has an increasing number of items for people with other
disabilities.
Alison
-----Original Message-----
From: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of ;
James English
Sent: 01 March 2018 04:53
To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [access-uk] Re: products made for the blind
Hello,
This simply doesn't make much sense.
On audible, when I log in, it remembers who I am...unless my computer has gone
pearshaped. Given I use it like a library (I've been getting books on the same
credit and them 'returning' them once finished for the past 18 months) wouldn't
it have the same issue?
On 3/1/18, Eleanor Martha Burke <eleanormarthaburke@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
okay thanks Pete, I understand what you are saying there.** To leave the list, click on the immediately-following link:-
Eleanor
Sent from my iPhone
On 28 Feb 2018, at 23:16, pete gurney <pete@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
hi eleanor,
the problem isn't how us as users or Calibre as the provider look at
it, it is that publishers are extremely over cautious about the
security that ensures their books can't be used or pirated by non
authorised people and without putting this sort of protection into
the app we wouldn't be able to offer their books to listen to.
we started work on this app 2 years ago and we are still negotiating
with some publishers to give us permission for people to listen to
their books on the app that is why some books if you try to check
them out will give you a message saying you are unable to download this book
at present.
this doesn't happen with the books that are calibre books but we
purchase a lot of books each year from various publishers so that our
members have the most popular recent releases to listen to and we
need permission from every one of these publishers to be able to let
our members download those books.
it's not a case of your neighbour or relations would know or use your
membership details, it's more that the publishers worry that if there
wasn't any protection and people lost or had their phone stolen, or
passed it on to or sold it on to someone else and forgot to
uninstall the app when they no longer wanted for any reason without
the protection whoever had the phone it's a case of that person
would have full access to their books.
pete.