Dear AccessWorld Editor,

I am a regular reader of AccessWorld and love reading its articles.

Will the team at AccessWorld be able to evaluate accessible hotel apps in 2016? I would like to learn about some accessible hotel apps. I want to make sure that all hotel iOS apps are very accessible for people who are blind and visually impaired.

Below are some hotel apps I would like to see evaluated.

  • Hilton Honors
  • Hilton Worldwide, Inc.
  • Best Western To Go
  • Best Western International, Inc.
  • Choice Hotels
  • Choice Hotels International, Inc.

I want to say thank you for making the AccessWorld magazine accessible for people who are blind and visually impaired.

Sincerely,

Valentin Bernal

Dear Valentin,

You may be interested in looking at Janet Ingber's series on the Hospitality Industry. I am providing links to the articles below.

Dear AccessWorld Editor,

In response to Evaluating the Accessibility of Jet, a New Online Shopping Site by Bill Holton:

I have been a customer of Jet since the day it started in July 2015. I'm impressed with its service and selection, also its money-saving prices. I have expressed on numerous calls to Jet the same frustrations about the accessibility of its site. One other concern I have and I have suggested on numerous occasions is that the "delete" button be placed after the item description so people who are blind could hear what they were deleting rather than have to hear it then go back and try to find the deletion button. I believe the Jet experience would be an absolute awesome answer to many of the shopping problems for people who are visually impaired. I believe with Jet's customer service creed they will address these issues but I wish it would be in a more rapid manner.

Mostly very satisfied customer looking anxiously forward to great improvements,

Chris Green

Dear AccessWorld Editor,

In response to Bill Holton's An Evaluation of the Samsung UN50H6400 Television:

I am in the market for a new TV set, and I wonder if there are any other accessible TV sets, either from Samsung or any other manufacturer, that I can consider. I do not need a 50 inch set, a 36″ or 32″ would do. I wonder what progress has been made since this AccessWorld article in August 2014 in the area of accessible TV sets. Any help you can give me would be great.

I wish to thank you, along with Bill Holton, and the rest of the AccessWorld team for your great work. I depend on your excellent research and advice in order to purchase goods and services.

Thanks again,

Carlos Alvarez

Dear AccessWorld Editor,

In response to Out of Sight or Out of Sound: There Is Always a Way: Living with a Secondary Hearing Impairment by Deborah Kendrick and published in the February 2016 issue.

I live in the county of Cumbria in the UK, and I found this article so refreshing. I am totally blind and have a severe hearing loss and recognize your tips on noisy restaurants etc. My wife is also totally blind and very understanding.

Please could you direct me to articles on how technology could improve my social interaction? I always find background noise a conversation stopper for me. If there is a lot of background noise, it's like being swamped with noise and I just want to run.

I look forward to hearing from you—sorry for the pun.

Henry

Dear AccessWorld Editor,

While reading An Overview Survey of Home Appliance Accessibility by Aaron Preece and Neva Fairchild, I found in your overview of stoves, that you omitted gas ranges. A lot of folks in the Midwest and in other states, may not or may choose not to buy an electric range. By omitting gas ranges I feel […] you have done a slight disservice to your readers. Just remember not everyone wants or should have to cook with an electric range.

Sincerely,

Wilfred H. Kitto

Dear AccessWorld Editor,

I am writing in response to Bill Holton's Accessible Personal Finance: Dollars and "Sense" for Blind and Low-Vision Seniors in the February 2016 issue. Instead of using the Money Talks program from the American Printing House for the Blind, Microsoft Excel meets my needs more efficiently. I only needed sighted assistance to create a formula [to calculate the] amount of money remaining in my bank account. This reliance was only because I am not knowledgeable in performing this function of Excel. I have used Excel to keep track of my checking account for many years. Although I am not a senior, I am confident that people of that generation could handle using Excel with help/training. I realize that Money Talks can be useful for some people.

To pay my credit card bill or check my bank account, I utilize online websites. The wonderful thing about technology is the ability to accomplish tasks in multiple ways.

I am providing my workarounds for other readers to consider. Thank you for publishing AccessWorld!

Blake Roberts

Dear AccessWorld Editor,

I just read A Day in the Life: Technology that Assists a Visually Impaired Person through the Day by Bill Holton, which I found extremely interesting, and it looks like there are many items that can be useful to blind people. I'm 59 years old, and I've been legally blind since birth. Over the last several years, my vision has gradually deteriorated to the point where I can see only light and blurred visions of objects. For the past 15 years, I've had type 1 diabetes, which means I must take insulin every day in order to stay alive. Since 2003, I've been using an insulin pump. I have a talking glucose meter, which allows me to independently check my own glucose levels. However, the pump doesn't talk, and I have to rely on hearing the beeps. Most of the times, I have no problem with this, but sometimes I need to see what it says on the screen. If the pump could talk to me, I could tell what the screen says, and I'd know how much insulin I have remaining in my pump. Also, I could check when my last dose of insulin was, and at what time. I could also check the alarm status on the pump. I hope that one day there will be a talking insulin pump available. I like to be as independent as possible. Fortunately, I enjoy good health, and I hope to remain healthy for a long time,

Sincerely,

Barbara Kirwan

Dear AccessWorld Editor,

I enjoyed reading Bill Holton's informative article, A Day in the Life: Technology that Assists a Visually Impaired Person through the Day. Those seniors who might like to include music-making in their daily routine might benefit from the Lime Lighter solution for low vision performers: Dancing Dots.

Regards,

Bill McCann

Article Topic
Letters to the Editor