Drew MochakI'll be dropping more of my CSUN interviews here as I get them edited for conciseness. For now, have a short one that I consider to be the biggest fail of the conference. From LG electronics!
Timothy Wynn@prism Wait, so the guide isn't not so that blindies can install the stickers without sighted assistance, but rather a key for what these textile (assuming tactile) stickers may mean? Not impressed.
@twynn correct on all accounts. As you may also have observed, the controls are touch screen, so not only can you not install them yourself but you can't even install them where the actual control would be, lest they activate the control.
@prism Did it at least have a raised line that went from the label to the button?? That's what I do for a touch-screen start button on my air-fryer.
@twynn there was a raised something above the Braille yes, I'm not sure if it was a line or printed symbol. Either way the control was a good inch above where the end of the sticker was. Maybe I'm exaggerating but you know, there was space.
@prism Oh, there was enough room to have the braille be horizontally below the strip of touch-screen controls? That's very odd... I wonder if the spacing is because the stickers were incorrectly applied (assuming they were see-through and could have been atop the print labels)...
@twynn I don't know but I mean, they were applied by the LG people, I assume that's where they expect them to go. I further assume the reason why they're there was because if they were on top of the controls directly the pressure of the stickers would cause the machine to think you were holding the button down? Either way I feel like that in and of itself is an accessibility problem, not to mention the fact that you still need to be able to see in order to know where they are supposed to go. Just really poorly thought through the levels.
@prism I think that if they couldn't integrate the design into older products, they could at least make an overlay for each model, i/e/, a single sticker instead of multiple stickers that may just fall off after a while like the aforementioned bump dots. But for newer products, just having it completely built-into each model manufactured, just as I believe they do the print, would be ideal.
@prism Lololol. That woman sounded hilarious! You should have told her that Samsung builds it right into their units. And what was that about making accessibel to wheelchair folk? How would a sticker help them?
Pratik Patel@prism So happy to know that the "tax tile" stickers that I actually have to by separately are too expensive to put on every unit.
@prism This is actually so ridiculous that it's laughable. Also, I love the fact that she apparently completely missed your sarcasm.
@jcsteh yeah I'm not sure if she missed it or just didn't care. Her sales tactic was pretty aggressive.
@prism I feel embarrassed now that I have an LG TV, and also I think my morning is ruined. This is bad.
@jakobrosin sorry! Might I recommend a samsung? I don't even like Samsung particularly to be honest I'm just doing it to further the bit.
@prism TBH our LG tv works pretty well in terms of accessibility. Their TV remotes are one of the more accessible ones I've seen. With, guess what, built in braille! So their pivot to milk the blind customers more by selling them stickers for their fridges seems even more surprising.
Andre Louis@jakobrosin @prism Have a Samsung washing machine with braille built right onto the device for P and S, Power and Start. All the TV's in the house, Samsung. Braille on-remote, *not* on a sticker but built into the plastic. This is how it should be done. Stickers my British fuckin Arse.
Noel Romey@jakobrosin @prism I saw someone order an overlay on here and they said it was free. Still stupid of course, but maybe a bit easier to swallow if it's not gonna cost extra.
Kara Goldfinch@jakobrosin @prism I'd love someone to point this out to them.
Joseph King@prism So she clames it would be, quote, “too expensive” to make the tactile( or as she said, taxtile) stickers a permanent fixture on the panels, and also that the stickers wouldn’t come off easily. They’d still get worn down with use and would need to eventually be replaced, and yeah, while it probably would be a bit more expensive to put braille or tactile markings on the panels in such a way as to make them part of the panels themselves, it’d be worth it in the longrun. This person clearly doesn’t give a shit. Just wow. Don’t think I’m gonna be considering the idea of purchasing a product from this company with an attitude like that. Sorry not sorry.
Tim Appleby@prism Why then did LG electronics go to the event in the first place? If they weren't going to allow their stuff to be accessible for those who are blind, in my view, it doesn't make sense.
@carrottop1023 any excuse to nickel and dime a minority for something that could easily be amortized over the lifespan of a consumer product.
@alexhall @ppatel the quote textile and quote stickers to have some physical bump or line or symbol or whatever it is that you can use to line it up, I'm not sure if that's its intended purpose or just the nature of it being there. But I mean, it's a flat appliance, I don't see how you could get around needing side of assistance for the initial placement.
@prism @ppatel I just ordered overlays for my washer and dryer. They were free, so I take back my comment about having to pay extra. I'm still mad this isn't on the appliances by default, but at least LG is doing something. Also, you had more patience with that LG rep than I would have. I get that the situation isn't his fault, but his responses were still infuriating.
@prism @munchkinbear That lady irritated me to no end. Now you can wash your own clothes. Like we don’t do our own laundry already. So patronizing. Also, why can’t they just build braille numbers directly into the unit without having to use stickers? Then they would never come off. She didn’t really answer that question. She just seems like she is one of those able-bodied people doing the least amount of work possible and so proud of herself for it. Please.
@Peacefulsoul17 @munchkinbear yeah her role was very aggressive. Literally the instant I started talking about anything other than the stickers she would immediately start blabbing about the stickers and just repeat it's the stickers or whatever. Maybe that style worked on someone, not me though.
@prism @Peacefulsoul17 it's people like her that piss me off.
@prism Ok, everyone in this thread has said everything I was thinking already, so all I have to say is wow. Out of everything though, the things that got me the most is the name, because what do you mean an ablebodied person being able to use an appliance is expected but for disabled people it's considered "Comfort?" And the whole now you can do your own laundry thing, as if blind people haven't been doing their own laundry for ages now.
@Kingslayer @prism I didn’t even catch that bit. But… Wow. That’s… That’s a low blow from the interviewee.
Peter Saathoff-Harshfield@prism The other thing that gets me about this is that she says the comfort kit is for people who are “vision impaired or maybe wheelchair-accessible”. Yes, those wheelchair-accessible people we all know.
Devin Prater :blind: