Product Features
Appliance and Manufacturer: Color or Type; Price Range; Types of Controls; Comments.
Stoves
Whirlpool; All colors; All price ranges; Tactile surfaces; Predictable settings, resets to default predictably, tones with button press. Many participants and others find these controls useful; direct observation of temperature setting is not available nonvisually.
GE; Black and stainless with black; Low to moderate price range; Tactile surfaces; Predictable settings, defaults predictably, tones with button press.
Dishwashers
Whirlpool; All colors; All price ranges; Bubble-like molded tactile control; Predictable settings, easy-to-feel control action, includes clear button.
Bausch (higher-end German brand); All models, all colors; High price range; Latching mechanical controls or easy-to-feel electronic controls; Some models use LED indicator with no clear button.
Sears Kenmore; Some models/units manufactured by Whirlpool and Bausch; All price ranges; Reflect characteristics of features of Whirlpool and Bausch models.
LG; Some models, all colors; Mid to high price range; Mechanical controls; Easy to feel.
Entry-level models from several brands; Turn-knob mechanical controls, some mechanical buttons; Easy to feel, can check progress of washing cycle by touch.
Washing Machines
Conventional Top Loading (typically least expensive models)
Whirlpool; All colors; Low to moderate price range; Conventional knobs with pointed ends; Main timer control creates click sounds and provides feedback as cycles are changed.
Whirlpool; Cabrio (high-efficiency top-loading, to be introduced mid-summer 2006); High price range; Turn knob with distinct pointer, electronic controls; Click stops indicate cycle selection, bubble controls beep as settings are changed, shares controls with front-loading Duet Sport.
Sears Kenmore; Some models; Low to moderate price range; Conventional knobs with embossed dot indicating pointer marking; Main timer control provides some tactile feedback as cycles are changed.
Maytag; Some models; Low to moderate price range; Conventional knobs with textured pointer marking; Main timer control provides tactile feedback as cycles are changed.
Fisher and Paykel; Echo Smart (high-efficiency top-loading model); More expensive than many top-loading units; Embossed tactile controls, beep tones; Menu settings accessible with changing tones when top and bottom of menu are reached, up/down button pairs for menu selections, cycles selected by single button press.
Front Loading
Whirlpool; Duet models, all colors; Mid to high price range; Turn knob with distinct pointer, electronic controls; Predictable up/down changes with button press, no tones with button press.
Whirlpool; Duet Sport; Mid price range; Turn knob with distinct pointer, electronic controls; Click stops indicate cycle selection, bubble controls beep as settings are changed. Shares controls with Cabrio top-loading machine.
LG Tronn; Super Capacity, all colors; Mid price range; Unique circular button; Five cycles selected at edge of large button, tone with each button press when making adjustments to settings
Sears Kenmore; Some models, including HE3 and HE4; Mid to high price range; Easy-to-feel electronic touch controls, cycle selected with single press from circular button array; Predictable menus with up/down button press, no tones with button press.
Sears Kenmore; Models manufactured by Frigidaire; Mid price range; Turn knobs with tactile pointer, distinct buttons to adjust settings; Predictable up/down menu selections.
Clothes Dryers*
Standouts included Whirlpool models, Fisher and Paykel basic dryer, and Whirlpool and Sears Kenmore mates for front-loading washing machines.
Microwave Ovens**
GE; embossed touch controls
Whirlpool (over the range); All colors; Textured surfaces on smooth background.
Wall ovens
Whirlpool; All colors; All price ranges; Tactile surfaces; Predictable settings, defaults predictably, tones with button press. Reflects design of Whirlpool ranges.
KitchenAid (high-end brand); All colors; All price ranges; Subtle tactile surfaces, uses key pad for temperature/time entry, predictable settings; Predictable defaults, tones with button press. Earlier models featured more distinct textures on button surfaces.
Frigidaire; Black and stainless with black controls; Tactile surfaces; Predictable settings, defaults predictably, tones with button press. Textured regions more distinct than some other brands.
* Dryer controls reflect the design of their washing machine mates.
** Microwaves are generally inaccessible, with the exceptions listed here, because of controls that cannot be identified by touch and complex visual displays that do not provide access. A talking microwave oven is offered by several venders of products for people who are visually impaired, including Independent Living Aids. It is a modified off-the-shelf unit, equipped with speech output and tactile controls, priced at $369. Contact: <www.independentliving.com>.
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