Touchscreens & Lack of Accessibility | I-Help Disability Services | NDIS Services

Touchscreens are becoming more and more prevalent in our society and there has been a lack of accessibility for visually impaired people which is causing problems. Touchscreens are used in many places like self-checkout at shopping centres, fast-food restaurants, coffee machines, vending machines, washing machines, microwaves, air fryers, elevators, air conditioners, check-in kiosks, and ATMs, which is making it increasingly difficult for visually impaired individuals to access these services, as they lack the braille or other accessible functions to them. The problem is made worse by the lack of consistent accessibility standards. There was a situation where a man in the US was stuck in a lift because he wasn’t able to operate the lift.

One potential solution is to add audio cues and haptic feedback to help individuals use certain products.

There are calls for new laws to be put in place to ensure companies make their products accessible.

So, what else can be done to make these functions more accessible for the visually impaired?