Nonvisual Access to Home Appliances
By McCarthy, Jim; Voice of the Nation's Blind,Publication Date: December 2004
Article discusses home appliances in terms of their accessibility for people with visual disabilities. Some nonvisual techniques work well with analog controls such as dials, buttons, and switches, though the use of computer chips and digital control systems has created accessibility issues for people who are blind or have low vision. Digital control systems often require visual interaction, and rarely employ sound and controls distinguishable by touch. Ovens with touch panels, microwave ovens with flat-panel controls and interactive menus, washing machines with liquid crystal displays, air conditioners with touch controls, and digital thermostats are examples. The author contends that people with visual disabilities and disability advocates need to engaged in discussions with the appliance industry in order to voice these problems and search for potential solutions.
Published by:
National Federation of the Blind (Web Site: http://www.nfb.org )
Link to text: http://www.voiceofthenationsblind.org/articles/79/nonvisual-access-to-home-appliances
