[Electronics-Talk] Does where we shop impact accessibility of appliances?

Mon Oct 31 14:38:28 UTC 2016

Here's the big problem as I see it.  Appliances are no longer designed and 
manufactured in the US but overseas, mostly in China, where industrial 
designers give short shrift to making their products universally accessible 
and are more interested in showcasing the latest whiz-bang technology.  Even 
mighty General Electric, once the pride of American appliance design, has 
sold its major appliance division to Electrolux, the European-based 
appliance giant that already manufactures appliances under the Frigidaire 
brand name, most of which are not very accessible.  I really wonder whether 
government regulations that would require appliances to be made universally 
accessible to consumers with all types of disabilities including blindness, 
would be effective.  Just look at the Telecommunications Accessibility Act 
of 2010 which was supposed to make accessible TV sets and cable boxes 
available by the end of 2015.  How has that worked out??

Gerald

-----Original Message----- 
From: Shannon Cook via Electronics-Talk
Sent: Monday, October 31, 2016 10:21 AM
To: Discussion of accessible home electronics and appliances
Cc: Shannon Cook
Subject: Re: [Electronics-Talk] Does where we shop impact accessibility of 
appliances?

I think the app controlled appliance is akin to watching the news when they 
refer you to their website for further info.

It is not the best option for all.  That is great for some, but as 
mentioned, we need a solution that will work for most people, if not all.  I 
believe the appliance needs to be controllable on the unit itself, 
regardless of whether it is app capable.

I love this discussion by the way.  I think at this point in our collective 
history, we are on the right track to consider the class-action suit.  It is 
probably the only way to really get the attention of manufacturers.  I work 
with senior adults, and I truly believe the improvements in accessibility 
would impact many more consumers than the manufacturers realize.

Shannon Cook, MSW, CPM
-----Original Message-----
From: Electronics-Talk [mailto:electronics-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On 
Behalf Of Arlene via Electronics-Talk
Sent: Sunday, October 30, 2016 6:29 PM
To: Discussion of accessible home electronics and appliances 
<electronics-talk at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Arlene <arlenes71154 at earthlink.net>
Subject: Re: [Electronics-Talk] Does where we shop impact accessibility of 
appliances?

I've been reading all these messages with so many good points brought up. I 
agree with that the apps on smart phones are quite helpful. I'm not about to 
be negative about smart phones, but unfortunately there's a number of people 
that can't afford to purchase one.I have a modo g, and as much as I've tried 
navigating the screen, including reading instructions and getting 
instruction from friends, I can't get the knack of it. I'm probably about 
the only person that can't get the knack of it. As soon as I tap to go into 
something, it moves somewhere else on the screen. So my point of view of it 
now, especially now, I wouldn't want to depend on a machine that I can't 
work very well at all with other things in my household. I understand that 
the apps give a lot of access, and if you can work with the touch screens on 
the phones that's really great, but I'm not saying they aren't important.
----- Original Message -----
From: "David Andrews via Electronics-Talk" <electronics-talk at nfbnet.org>
To: "Discussion of accessible home electronics and appliances"
<electronics-talk at nfbnet.org>
Cc: "David Andrews" <dandrews at visi.com>
Sent: Sunday, October 30, 2016 1:15 PM
Subject: Re: [Electronics-Talk] Does where we shop impact accessibility of 
appliances?

There is one other variable, which I don't think anyone has mentioned yet. 
It can be good, or bad, or both.

We are seeing more and more devices that are controllable by smart phone 
apps, either iOS or Android.  The problems are, you have to have a device 
that will run the right software, and that software must, itself, be 
accessible. Given both of these things, it offers another approach to 
accessibility.

Back in the early to mid 90's, at one of the U.S./Canada joint conferences 
on technology, I wrote and presented a paper calling on industry to develop 
standards for operating a device, and development of a universal remote 
controller.  With phones, and various home automation standards, we have 
pieces of this, and hopefully we can take it further, and make it work for 
us.
\
Dave

At 12:59 PM 10/30/2016, you wrote:
>Here are my thoughts. 1.  Appliance manufacturers donâ?Tt have any idea
>what we want. 2.  Even if they did, they couldnâ?Tt care less and whine
>itâ?Ts to expensive to make something we can use. 3.  Only way to turn
>this around is to sue every damn one of them in a class action because
>otherwise, they just will never ever change. All the talk in the world
>about publicity efforts will do no good at all because views against
>the blind in society in general are getting worse, not better.  Fact
>is, weâ?Tre starting to move backwards and we may have more and more of
>a problem the longer we wait. Sent from my Mac, The Only computer with
>full accessibility for the blind built-in Sincerely, The Constantly
>Barefooted Ray, Still a very happy Comcast XFinity Voice Guidance, Mac,
>Verizon Wireless iPhone7+ and Apple TV user! > On Oct 30, 2016, at 8:51
>AM, Brad Hodges via Electronics-Talk <electronics-talk at nfbnet.org>
>wrote: > >
>Colleagues: > > > As some of you long-time Federationists may recall, a
>number of years > ago I had the privilege of working at our National
>Center. One of the > areas of research and advocacy I undertook was to
>begin the exploration > of the state of appliance accessibility. I also
>was pleased to have had > several articles published in the Braille 
>Monitor.
>Entitled "Crisis For > The Blind at the Big Box Store" they summarized
>our understanding of the > issues and technology of the time. > > >
>Fast forward more than a decade and I find myself prowling the isles of
>> big box stores and other appliance departments once again. This time
>as > a member who has an abiding interest in this topic. I intend to >
>collaborate with the Technology Team at the Jernigan Institute, to once
>> again publish a comprehensive survey of the appliance accessibility >
>landscape. > > > To make a very long story short, most of what we
>observed in the early > 2000's still applies. So, what has changed? Why
>are things considerably > more difficult now than they were in 2004? Is
>it time to establish > standards for accessibility? Is government
>intervention necessary? Have > our expectations for accessibility
>changed? > > > In posing these questions I'm hoping to expand our scope
>of exploration > and to consider additional forces and factors which
>contribute to the > bedeviling time we all have in finding a microwave
>oven or washing > machine which we can use. > > > Yes, I'm getting to the 
>topic you expected after reading the message > header.
>Yesterday I was shopping at my local JCPenney store. Low and > behold,
>what did I find on the second floor but a very well merchandised >
>display of major appliances from LG, Samsung and GE. Of particular >
>interest was how unfamiliar many of the models were. I have been >
>tracking availability at Lowes, Home Depot and Sears for many years. It
>> struck me, as I explored a GE front loading laundry pare, which look
>> quite usable that something which a mgr at Home Depot shared. The
>floor > space for appliance display in the big box store is rented by
>each > manufacturer. Thus the choice of which models are available for
>public > preview is controlled exclusively by those manufacturers. > >
>> Do you suppose that one of the issues which contributes to the state
>of > affairs is a re tale experience which only includes a sampling of
>less > accessible or manageable products? Since I believe it to be the
>case > that relatively few models in any manufacturers lines is really
>usable, > the chances of those models not showing up in the display
>space is > perhaps quite high. > > > In addition to the GE laundry
>machines, I found an LG electric range > with beautiful burner turn
>knobs on the front, and a back panel which > would appear to lend
>itself very nicely to tactile markings. Several > over-the-range
>microwaves looked promising, again to be used with > tactile
>indicators. A Samsung dishwasher with 5 easy to feel buttons > also
>intrigued. > > > I'll return to JCPenney, this time with a camera, an
>extension cord, and > my husband to lend a hand and a pare of eyes. > >
>> Hope I haven't run to long here, but there was a qualitative aspect
>of > the overall experience which I found encouraging. I also trust
>that as > we progress in collecting our findings and thoughts for a new
>Monitor > article that the collective experience of this group will
>help inform > the conversation. > > > Brad Hodges > > Huntington WV > >
>> >

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