Hard of hearing Amazon Prime subscribers already know that all the videos on that subscription service include closed captions, but not every video offered online by Amazon comes with captions. That is going to change after the e-tailer reached a deal with the National Association of the Deaf to expand its captioning efforts to encompass the site’s full catalog. [More]
accessibility
Uber Testing App Enhancements That Help Deaf And Hard Of Hearing Drivers
By 5.28.15
We’ve covered in the past Uber’s problems with the ride-hailing service’s disabled passengers, which range from ride snubs to service dogs forced to ride in the trunk. It’s worth keeping that in mind when you learn about Uber’s latest change to their driver app to accommodate a different community of people with disabilities: the service is testing changes to its system that make driving for the service possible for people who are deaf. [More]
Comcast Introduces Talking TV Guide For Visually Impaired
By 11.12.14
Fifteen months ago, we told you that Comcast was developing a talking version of its TV listings for use by visually impaired subscribers. Today, the company announced that it will be introducing the feature to users on its X1 platform. [More]
Disabled-Access Lawsuits Against Small Businesses Increasing
By 10.16.14
Everyone who likes to eat hot dogs should have the right to enter a restaurant and order some hot dogs. Recently, though, a 60-year-old luncheonette in Miami was sued when a man who walks with a cane sued, claiming 30 separate accessibility violations. Was the man even a customer of the hot dog stand? Turns out that doesn’t really matter. [More]
Restaurant Turns Away Customer In Wheelchair, Charges $245 To Cancel Reservation
By 10.3.13
Some people may disagree that it’s fair for a restaurant to charge a cancellation fee when someone misses their reservation. However, there’s pretty much no one who thinks that it’s fair to charge a cancellation fee because a customer uses a wheelchair and is literally unable to get in the door. [More]
Comcast Tests Talking TV Listings For Visually Impaired Customers
By 8.28.13
In an effort to appeal to visually impaired consumers — and possibly get ahead of looming regulatory requirements — Comcast has been testing a version of its channel guide that actually speaks the titles of shows and movies available for watching. [More]
Blind Man Uses Memorization And Trust To Keep Track Of Paper Money
By 9.26.11
How does a blind guy tell the difference between a fifty and a dollar bill in his pocket? In this video, blind man Tommy Edison shows his method. [More]
What It's Like For A Blind Man To Use An ATM For The First Time
By 9.13.11
Have you ever been waiting for the ATM to dispense your monies and seen that little headjack for blind people and wondered, hey, how does a blind person use an ATM? This video shows what happens when Tommy Edison, a blind man, uses the ATM for the first time. It takes him 11 minutes. [More]
Consumers Have More Trust In Companies That Tweet
By 6.23.10
A new survey shows that 75% of consumers think companies that tweet or post Facebook updates are more deserving of their trust than companies that don’t. The CEO of Fleishman-Hillard, which conducted the survey with Harris Interactive, says he thinks it shows that companies need to respond to crises much more openly and quickly than in years past: “Not in a 24-hours news cycle, but in minute-to-minute monitoring.” [More]
Minnesota: Not Serving Personal Mobility Scooters At The Drive-Thru Is OK
By 12.4.09
Back in June a woman in a personal mobility scooter rolled up the drive-thru at a St. Paul White Castle and was refused service because she wasn’t in a car. The drive-thru was the only part of the restaurant that was open — so she decided to complain to the Minnesota Department of Human Rights. And she lost. [More]
Citibank Launches iPhone Version Of Mobile App
By 3.4.09
Okay, all you iPhone dorks, Citi’s just released an easy way for you to keep track of your account balances while you’re running around pinching things bigger and smaller with your heavily patented gestures. Don’t worry, ugly phone owners, they’ve got other mobile versions too.
By 10.3.07
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A federal judge in California certified a class-action lawsuit against Target Corp on Tuesday. The suit claims that Target’s website is not accessible to the blind, and the plaintiffs have accused Target of violating state and federal anti-discrimination laws. “All e-commerce businesses should take note of this decision and immediately take steps to open their doors to the blind,” said the president of the National Federation of the Blind, a party to the suit. [Reuters]
Target Refuses To Let Mother In Fitting Room With Stroller-Bound Handicapped Child As That's "A Fire Hazard"
By 7.18.07
Having a handicapped child changes life completely. Simple tasks such as grocery shopping have become a major ordeal for me. I rarely go to stores alone due to the difficulties pushing a wheelchair and buggy simultaneously and family members work schedules leave little time to assist me with shopping. My three year old daughter is unable to sit independently, walk, or talk. To navigate stores I find it easier to use her lightweight stroller rather than her bulky and heavy wheelchair…
