Imagine this for a moment: You stroll into your local Kroger or other local supermarket, get some assistance shopping for what food you need and then announcing to your guide they don’t need to help you with navigating the self-service checkout. Sounds far-fetched? It may not be so out of the possibility realms for long. Thanks to Vispero’s inovative JAWS For Kiosk, this scenario may become a reality over the next few years.
Or perhaps you are riding shotgun while your spouse or coworker has been driving for several hours on a trip. They’re tired and need to catch some shut-eye when you stop off at some truck stop like Flying Jay. With cane in hand or dog by your side you step from the car, stroll inside, order a burger, fries, and drink before sidling up to pay for it yourself. That’s when the same voice on your laptop comes through the speakers of the kiosk where you pay for the meals you just ordered.
You can learn more about these kind of possibilities at the press release here.
Of course, the technology to make kiosks accessible is only half the battle. The other will be distributing the software, encouraging store managers to keep it updated, and raising the awareness among us who are blind of how we can learn to use equipment like this ourselves. I am sure students of orientation and mobility certifications will have several units in their training on how to remove the misgivings we who are blind may have about implementing this technology into our daily lives. After all, every kiosk will be different. Managers of supermarkets and restaurants won’t know the ins and outs of the technology right away after its installation. There will need to be some social give and take just like there has been with many other public accommodations.
Still, as this press release discusses, JAWS For Kiosks is bound to open up a new avenue for us who are blind to take in all that our world has to offer on an equal footing with everyone else.
Boldly Blind 