To: Internet:nfb-rd@nfbcal.org
MEMORANDUM
DATE: August 29, 1994
TO: Members and Friends
NFB R&D Committee
FROM: Curtis Chong,President
NFB in Computer Science
SUBJECT: Information Kiosks
Greetings and felicitations:
In a memo dated August 28, 1994, Dr. Tim Cranmer raises the
question of whether or not we, as blind consumers, need to be
worried about information kiosks. I think this is a valid
question. The knee jerk reaction is to say, "Why yes, darn it! We
as blind people need *ACCESSIBILITY!*"
I think we need to view the information kiosk question in
perspective. If information kiosks eventually become as prevalent
as glassed-in building directories (which do not seem to be all
that much of a problem for the average blind traveler), our
inability to use them independently will not be much of a problem
if the tried and true methods of information access are still
available and if they only take the place of building directories.
The trend to be concerned about is the diminishing of human help
due to the widespread availability of information kiosks--not the
information kiosks themselves. Bear in mind that I do not know if
staff reductions will be the inevitable concomitant of information
kiosk availability--I only know that management planners and
designers revel in the possibility that human labor can be
supplanted by automation.
Here's a scary thought. Anyone who has flown on a regular basis is
quite familiar with the ticket agent in the airport's main
terminal. This human individual is a wonder to behold. He (or
she) enables us to buy tickets, check luggage, learn what gate a
flight may be arriving at or departing from, and book additional
travel. Suppose information kiosks become so smart (intuitive, I
should say) that the friendly (most of the time) ticket agent is
eliminated? Now, I know this is far fetched in terms of today's
technology, but what about ten years in the future?
Mind you, I am not advocating that we jump up and down screaming
for full accessibility to information kiosk technology. At the
present time, I only maintain that we should try, where practical,
to encourage designers and developers to see if there are ways to
incorporate features into a kiosk's basic design that would enable
blind people to use them without sighted assistance.
Here in Minnesota, we have a political issue as opposed to a
technical one. Our state agency for the blind happens to reside in
the very state department that is supposed to help people to find
jobs and training. This requirement applies to *ALL* people, blind
and sighted alike. Now the department is exploring the possibility
of putting out information kiosks--kiosks that members of the
public can use to learn about job leads, fill out job applications,
apply for unemployment compensation, etc. In and of itself, this
is not anything to get all that excited about. After all, even if
we can't use the kiosks, we can always go to departmental offices,
which are scattered around the state, to get service. But what
should the agency for the blind do in this situation? Politically,
it would be inadvisable for them to do nothing. After all, it
would set a bad precedent. However, it would also be inadvisable
for them to over-react in this situation.
Ultimately, I think that information kiosks bear continued
monitoring and, once in a while, a push in the right direction by
blind people who might begin to feel disenfranchised by the growing
use and acceptance of these devices. After all, they *MIGHT*
replace Burger King<grin>.
Cordially,
Curtis Chong
President
National Federation of the Blind in Computer Science
Internet: 73443.1351@compuserve.com (personal)
or
usids002@ibmmail.com (work)
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