The firm behind the deployment of DVD-rental kiosks has been sued by an advocate group that claims that they discriminate against blind customers.

Redbox has been taken to court by a San Francisco group that is campaigning on behalf of the visually impaired, who allege that the rental touch screen kiosks make it impossible or difficult for visually impaired customers to use the technology.

The activists, “Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired”, say that the advancement of technology is limiting for the visually impaired. One legally blind supporter argues that she enjoys sharing movies with her sighted husband and their son but that she is left feeling embarrassed and helpless when trying to use the units.

Kiosk technology has been installed across industry sectors in airports, retail, and hospitality, but the design needs to consider accessibility for everyone.

Protouch kiosk manufacturers offer guidance on the placement of touch screen technology in order to enable all users use the kiosk. By featuring internet access on the machines, help instructions can also be offered to those few people who find it difficult to use, not just the disabled. Further advice is to provide audio features to help instruct consumers use the technology.

The advocates reported that they sued Redbox in the hope it will encourage other companies to include accessible software.

Here at Protouch, we believe that it is vital that all units tend to a customer’s needs and are designed appropriately to ensure the person can access it with ease and without effort.

Whether someone has difficulties reading and needs a specially designed kiosk that increases their confidence and ability; or a wheelchair user cannot reach the interface display, it is important that the touch screen technology is accessible for all and does not discriminate.

Pic Credit: McCarran International Airport, Las Vegas

The issue of blind people accessing kiosks in airports is very much a heated and unresolved one.

The National Federation of the Blind (NFB) has tried to sue multiple airports including the McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas, alleging that the ticket kiosks are not accessible to the visually impaired.

They claimed that the airports violated the Americans with Disabilities Act by not providing equal services to blind passengers.

But the McCarran operators have now said that if anything their blind passengers get preferential treatment.

The operators say the NFB and several blind passengers are “trying play on court sympathy by claiming ticketing kiosks deny them convenience and privacy when they are actually given preferential treatment.”

A deployed kiosk in an airport enables passengers to; check-in, check flight information, print tickets and boarding passes, select seats and upgrade tickets and pay for transaction.

According to the complaint, the kiosks include a visual touch screen that lacks any auxiliary aids such as voice guidance programs. The plaintiffs say they have to wait extended periods of time for assistance from airline employees and must give strangers sensitive private information.

Now the airport’s counter argument is that the kiosks provide sighted air travellers numerous, unique benefits, including convenience, privacy and independence.

They maintain that the “plaintiffs do not dispute that they are provided with curb-to-gate assistance, including … preferential assistance from airline employees in the course of the check-in and ticketing process.”

Install a Touch screen kiosk in your business today to ensure everyone has equal access, with Protouch.