Condescending designers who are really dumb

Simon

I pressed the button to get in the lift this morning at work.

Under the button, I noticed the braille and wondered how a blind person would find the button in the first place.

When the lift came, the doors opened along with a voice telling me "doors opening" ... gee, I would never have worked it out if it hadn't told me!

Inside were the same braille symbols on the buttons. I pressed the one for the ground floor and the lift told me "going down" ... good job 'cause I was on the top floor.

At the bottom I was told "door opening" (so that's how I got in here?!) and I walked out.

As the "doors closing" was cut off by the doors actually closing I wondered whether any of it was at all necessary? Do I need to be told that doors are opening or closing? I had to push the door open to get out of the building and it didn't tell me anything.

How dumb do the people who design these things think we are that we need to be told this !

... and someone should tell them that it's a bit dumb putting braille symbols on buttons for lifts in a multi-storey car-park - I'd love to see a blind guy manage to drive to the top floor.

Sara Annie

I wonder about these things too, Simon. Like why in the world do they have braille instructions on the keypads at drive-thru automatic teller machines. And why do they post signs that say "Braille menu available on request"? Who's reading that?

But as to your specific complaints, the voice overs are for the sight-impaired--not for you. And as to why the braille numbers are on the elevator keys, elevator controls are pretty much standard world round---there will be key pads on the right side (or both in some elevators) and as such a blind person would know the general area in which they will reach to find the button that will (thanks to handy braille labels) take them to their desired floor.

As to how a blind person would end up, unaccompanied, on the bottom floor of a parking garage, you're on your own there!

William Penwell

An experience at work a few years ago. There was this blind fellow that had a diabetic hypoglycemic reaction and we had to call the paramedics. We explained to the paramedics that their patent was blind. After the paramedics administered glucose and their blind patient was alert and talking, a paramedic was asking him some questions. The paramedic then ask him for his drivers license!! Which there was a big uproar of laughter and the paramedics face went red.

Will

Swan

An experience at work a few years ago. There was this blind fellow that had a diabetic hypoglycemic reaction and we had to call the paramedics. We explained to the paramedics that their patent was blind. After the paramedics administered glucose and their blind patient was alert and talking, a paramedic was asking him some questions. The paramedic then ask him for his drivers license!! Which there was a big uproar of laughter and the paramedics face went red.

It could have been worse. He could have asked, "How many fingers am I holding up?"

berylblue

I thought this was going to be a post about Coco Chanel.

Elsewhere

My favorite is the brail on the "drive through" cash machines.