Dear AccessWorld Editor,
This message is in response to Bill Holton's November 2017 article, The Accessible Home: A Look at Laundry Room Accessibility
I enjoyed your article on the accessible home.
I just got the October issue of Consumer Reports. It had an article on washing machines.
I wish someone would let Consumer Reports know we get the magazine every month thanks to the National Library Service (NLS) program.
I just wonder how appliance manufacturers would feel if all the dryers and washing machines and stoves were not workable for them.?
Thanks,
John Melia
Dear AccessWorld Editor
This message is in response to Scott Davert's November 2017 Article: Keeping It Portable: Comparing Braille Displays on iOS Devices, Part I.
Thanks Scott and AccessWorld Staff. Your survey of these display categories is useful given the impact they and iOS devices are already making. We can?learn about them and make informed purchasing decisions. Looking forward to the next installment.
Dear AccessWorld Editor,
This message is in response to Bill Holton's November 2017 article, The Accessible Home: A Look at Laundry Room Accessibility.
Although we weren't interested in "connected" or paired equipment, we had to replace our washing machine in September. We were able to look at a large number of washers at an appliance store that carries several brands. The employees have worked with blind people, including us, before. Units were not plugged in, but examining the front panels and asking questions provided us with the information we wanted. We bought a Whirlpool unit for about $500 MSRP. It's a top-loading unit. The unique feature of this model is that its five rotary knobs are detented, have pointers, and do not turn beyond the intended number of clicks. They control the microprocessor inside. You have 12 different cycles on one knob, with other knobs controlling fill level, rinse options, soil options and five water temperature settings. Certainly enough options for Judy and me. A little brailled dymo tape applied around some of the knobs, and reading the PDF manual, and I'm happy. You can't tell how far through the cycles you are, since there is no mechanical timer knob to look at, but that's about the only limitation I encountered.
The model number is WTW4816FW.
Best,
Lloyd Rasmussen
