Dear AccessWorld Editor
This letter is in response to the April 2018 Editor's Page.
My hope is that AccessWorld stays focused on access. I would like to see expanded coverage of accessible mainstream devices and products beyond smartphones and assistive technology. More on appliances, DVD players, music systems, televisions, radios, and all the other things people use in their daily lives. I would like to see this in addition to the current coverage of access technology. I worry that expanding to other topics may limit the very useful coverage of devices we need to live life on a daily basis. Each month I wish the issue of AccessWorld had more reviews. Why not more articles on using smart home technology to make daily living easer?
Regards,
Greg Austin
Dear AccessWorld Editor,
This letter is in response to Aaron Preece's article, ClickList by Kroger Expands Access to Online Grocery Shopping, from the May 2018 issue.
I am blind and have been using the Kroger, or in my case, the King Soopers app (they are run by Kroger). I have been using it for years. I do not use Quick List but use the Grocery List found under the More options tab on the bottom right or end of the Options list. With Quick List, you still must get someone to drive you there.
I usually start the process by accessing the weekly sale ad, and I add those items to my grocery list. If I am looking for an item, I go into More Options and access Grocery List, where I can do a search. When I am finished, I can choose options and e-mail the list to the person who will be driving me to the store. That e-mail also has items grouped according to store aisle number. It's a quick way to shop with my friend.
Dear AccessWorld Editor,
I wanted to let you know how very much I enjoyed Deborah Kendrick's article on the Victor Reader Trek in the May issue of AccessWorld. She is the best when it comes to expressing information clearly and concisely. I always feel as if I'm ready to tackle the device myself after reading one of her product articles.
Best regards,
Alan Lemly
Dear AccessWorld Editor,
I read, with great interest, Janet Ingber's review of Spectrum TV's accessibility solutions, published in the August 2017 issue of AccessWorld. I am a blind customer of Spectrum Cable TV and would like to obtain accessible cable TV services. Ms. Ingber's evaluation suggests that the accessibility solutions Spectrum has implemented are woefully inadequate. I wondered if there were any recent updates to her findings.
Thanks very much for any assistance you can offer.
Dawn M. Suvino
Response from Janet Ingber
Hello Dawn,
Thank you for reading AccessWorld and for sending your question regarding television programming access.
You may want to take a look at Spectrum's accessibility page. Although it sounds like it's easy to use Spectrum's accessibility features, not all features are available in all areas. For example, as you know from reading my August 2017 article, these simple accessibility features were not available in my area.
I gave up Spectrum and switched to Verizon FIOS a few months ago. Just before I switched, I checked with Spectrum, and nothing had changed.
Dear AccessWorld Editor,
This letter is in response to Janet Ingber's June 2018 article, Podcasts to Go: How to Play Podcasts on your iOS Device.
This is the most comprehensive yet concise article comparing podcast-related apps I have read. I have not experienced the IOS podcast apps. I use qcast on the computer. With this article as a guide, I can make an informed decision as to which apps are the easiest to operate for me.
Sincerely,
Julie Dawson
