Inclusive Technologies

Accenture reports that 68% of all product returns are due not to a technical fault but to user dissatisfaction.  We’ll only spend about 20 minutes trying to get the thing working properly, then give up and return it.  Or we return it as soon as we see that it’s not what we thought it was.  So bad user interfaces and poor documentation, not raw technological flaws, are the culprits.  This situation should surprise absolutely no one; what’s amazing is how little is done to remedy it.

Most ‘malfunctioning’ gadgets work just fine, report claims | Register Hardware

San Francisco is considering a law that would require TVs in public locations (lobbies, restaurants, airports, etc.) to display captions at all times.  What a great idea, and why not?  The capability is already built in, and this would provide a robust channel for communicating with deaf and hard of hearing people about emergencies, at the very least.  But don’t fine the scofflaws; make them wear a scarlet ASL instead!

SAN FRANCISCO / Bill would require captioning on TVs