[tabi] Re: [VICUG-L] [leadership] CVS press release
- From: "Betsy" <betsaw@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <tabi@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 10 Aug 2009 05:14:26 -0400
Way to go CVS! I'm been shopping on their website for several years and while
I can make it work, am very much looking forward to seeing some improvement.
It had become quite tedious to use so it will be interesting to see what they
do.
Betsy
----- Original Message -----
From: Lynn Evans
To: tabi@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Sunday, August 09, 2009 8:59 PM
Subject: [tabi] [VICUG-L] [leadership] CVS press release
For Immediate Release
CONTACTS:
Mike DeAngelis
CVS/pharmacy
(401) 770-2645
Mitch Pomerantz
American Council of the Blind
(626) 372-5150
Adrianna Montague-Gray
American Foundation for the Blind
(212) 502-7675
CVS/pharmacy Enhancing Accessibility for the Visually Impaired To
Its Web
Site and Store Point-of-Sales Devices
Initiative Announced In Collaboration with State and National
Organizations
for the Blind
WOONSOCKET, R.I., July 30, 2009: CVS/pharmacy, the nation's
largest retail
pharmacy, announced today that it is implementing functional
improvements to
benefit its customers with visual impairments and other
disabilities. The
company has installed tactile keypads in all CVS stores and it
will enhance
its website in 2009.
Today's announcement is the result of a collaboration between
CVS/pharmacy,
the American Foundation for the Blind, American Council of the
Blind and
California Council of the Blind. CVS/pharmacy's actions were
applauded by
these groups.
"We are pleased to collaborate with organizations committed to
advocacy for
the blind and introduce service enhancements in our stores and
online that
will increase access for our visually impaired customers," said
Helena
Foulkes, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of
CVS
Caremark.
Point-of-Sale Improvements
CVS/pharmacy's point-of-sale improvements are designed to assist
customers
who cannot read information on a flat-screen point-of-sale device
and
therefore cannot privately enter their PIN or other confidential
information. All CVS stores have been equipped, at a minimum,
with a
tactile device at both the front check-out counter and the
pharmacy counter
to ensure that customers unable to use a flat-screen keypad do
not have to
provide their PIN to a store employee. The company is also
training its
store employees to provide appropriate interaction with visually
impaired
customers regarding the use of the new tactile devices.
"Without tactile keys, blind and visually impaired people have no
choice but
to share their PINs with strangers," explained Melanie Brunson,
executive
director of the American Council of the Blind. "Today's
announcement, and
the collaboration that led to it, demonstrates CVS/pharmacy's
ongoing
commitment to its blind and visually impaired customers."
Web Site Access
The initiative includes CVS/pharmacy's commitment to ensure that
its online
pharmacy, <http://www.cvs.com/> www.cvs.com, is accessible to
persons with
a wide range of disabilities, including blind computer users who
use a
screen reader or magnification technology on their computers and
those who
rely on a keyboard instead of a mouse. CVS.com will implement
these
enhancements by the end of 2009.
"An accessible web site is crucial if people with vision loss are
to obtain
goods, services and information on an equal footing," said Paul
Schroeder,
vice president, programs and policy group of the American
Foundation for the
Blind. "We appreciate CVS/pharmacy's commitment to ensure that
CVS.com is
usable by the broadest range of online consumers, including those
who have
disabilities."
About CVS/pharmacy
CVS/pharmacy, the retail division of CVS Caremark Corporation
(NYSE: CVS),
is America's largest retail pharmacy with more than 6,900
CVS/pharmacy and
Longs Drugs store locations. CVS/pharmacy is committed to
improving the
lives of those we serve by making innovative and high-quality
health and
pharmacy services safe, affordable and easy to access, both in
its stores
and online at CVS.com. General information about CVS/pharmacy
and CVS
Caremark is available at <http://www.cvscaremark.com/>
www.cvscaremark.com..
About American Council of the Blind (ACB) and California Council
of the
Blind (CCB) American Council of the Blind is a national
consumer-based
advocacy organization working on behalf of blind and visually
impaired
Americans throughout the country with members organized through
70 state and
special-interest affiliates. California Council of the Blind is
the
California affiliate of the ACB and is a statewide membership
organization
with 40 local chapters and statewide special-interest
associations. ACB and
CCB are dedicated to improving the quality of life, equality of
opportunity
and independence of all people who have visual impairments.
Their members
and affiliated organizations have a long history of commitment to
the
advancement of policies and programs which will enhance
independence for
people who are blind and visually impaired. More information
about ACB and
CCB can be found by visiting <http://www.acb.org/> www.acb.org
and
<http://www.ccbnet.org/> www.ccbnet.org.
About American Foundation for the Blind
The American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) is a national
nonprofit that
expands possibilities for people with vision loss. AFB's
priorities include
broadening access to technology; elevating the quality of
information and
tools for the professionals who serve people with vision loss;
and promoting
independent and healthy living for people with vision loss by
providing them
and their families with relevant and timely resources. AFB is
also proud to
house the Helen Keller Archives and honor the over 40 years that
Helen
Keller worked tirelessly with AFB. For more information, visit
us online at
<http://www.afb.org/> www.afb.org.
VICUG-L is the Visually Impaired Computer User Group List.
Archived on the World Wide Web at
http://listserv.icors.org/archives/vicug-l.html
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