To: Internet:nfb-rd@nfbcal.org
Greetings to the friends and members of the NFB Research and
Development Committee.
One of the things that the World Blind Union Technology Committee
wishes to work on is a Code of Good Practices that we, as
consumers, would expect vendors of technology to follow.
I received the following "first cut" from Norbert Mueller, who
serves with me on the WBU Technology Committee. I would appreciate
receiving any constructive criticisms from any of you who receive
this.
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Suggestions for a Code of Good Practice
Manuals must be supplied in large print and in Braille or on
cassette tape; Additionally, manuals on disk should be offered. The
Braille text must not be in computer Braille, unless it is
necessary for the proper understanding of the text. Tapes should be
tone indexed.
There must not be an extra charge for manuals in Braille, large
print or on tape or diskette. Sighted people get their manuals for
free, and blind people must have the same right.
Installation programs for specialized software should work well
with speech output and Braille displays.
Products should not be announced longer than three months before
they actually hit the market.
It must be specifically mentioned, if additional products are
required to run the equipment.
Customers must be granted the right of returning the product within
two weeks after delivery if it does not work properly. In this
case, the unit must be replaced with a new one.
A company must not try to make undue profit; this includes:
- a product must not be sold at a higher price in countries
where it can easily be purchased by governmental agencies or
non-governmental organizations;
- the price of a product may not be raised if a great demand for
it can be anticipated.
The size of the package should relate to the size of the products;
it is unfair to let customers pay for packaging and mailing if the
box is unnecessarily big.
No company shell try to gain a larger piece of the market by unfair
practices which limit the choice of blind people to choose among
several similar products or by prohibiting the development of
similar equipment.
No exaggerations about the real qualities of a device should be
made, so that no false hopes are being raised.
Producers and/or suppliers of technical products must set up a
system where there customers can find help and support as quickly
as possible.
Manufacturers of equipment for the blind should never grant
exclusive selling privileges to one provider.
If manufacturers find out that a supplier makes undue profit on
their product, they should withdraw the right to sell it.
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Cordially,
Curtis Chong
Internet: 73443.1351@compuserve.com (personal)
or
usids002@ibmmail.com (work)
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