[Promotion-technology] Accessible Devices Opportunity To Have Input On The Design of NewRadio

[David Andrews]

>
>If you have any features you'd like included in this radio please make
>sure you send your messages to sam at sw541 at speedemessenger.com and not
>to me.  Thanks, Steve.
>
>From: "Sam Ward" sw541 at speedemessenger.com
>To: Mike's Mess List mikesmess2 at mikesmess.com
>
>Hi there folks,
>
>So often when we buy a portable radio and CD player these days, we
>find that we can only use some of the options that are available and the
>others require at least some vision to use.
>
>Well, a friend of mine is in a rather unique position, and here's what
>he writes.
>
>Hi Sam,
>
>Right now, I'd like to tell you about a couple projects I'm involved in.
>
>The Best Buy electronics retail chain is teaming up with an electronics
>manufacturer to offer a blind-friendly radio. It's just in the planning
>stages
>right now. I have a contact who is involved in the talks between Best
>Buy and the
>manufacturer.
>
>My friend would like to know the top ten things we as blind persons
>would
>like to see in a radio. The first thing I said was to have a num pad on
>the
>remote so we could put in a frequency. I'd also like to see a button
>that returns
>all the menus and mode buttons to some pre-determined default settings
>so we
>wouldn't get lost in the menus and sub menus. If the unit is going to
>have a multi-cd
>changer, I'd like it to give an audible signal when the cd tray I select
>is empty
>rather than automatically finding the next loaded one.
>
>As you know, I have exactly two blind friends. But you seem to know
>quite a few folks, one way or another. Would you mind asking as many
>people as you
>can what they'd like to see in a blind-friendly radio and then send the
>information to me?
>
>I will pass it along to my friend and we will actually have some say
>in the design and features set rather than having the sighted design it
>for us, not
>knowing at all what we need or what would be helpful. If you're on any
>blindness-related lists where the question would be appropriate, feel
>free to post the
>question there and forward the info to me.

David Andrews and white cane Harry.