What is the Access Kit?
Partnered with the American Printing House for the Blind (APH), the GE Appliances Access Kit is a set of tactile stickers designed to make home appliances more accessible to people who are blind or visually impaired. Including over 450 transparent stickers with half symbols and half Braille, the kit is applicable to most types of GE appliances such as dishwashers, microwaves, ovens, etc. It is offered at an affordable price of $19.99, making it a cost-effective utility solution for supporting independent living of blind and visually impaired people.
What key features does the kit have?
Universal Tactile Symbols & Braille Words
Previously, blind and visually impaired users had to rely on homemade braille labels or generic tactile bumps as makeshift solutions to identify controls, which were often inconsistent, non-standardized, and non-comprehensive across appliances. Based on quantitative research and qualitative feedback from blind individuals and educators, the kit was carefully designed through an iterative process to ensure symbol universality and Braille accuracy.
Each Access Kit consists of 4 sheets of stickers accommodating 4 appliance categories—microwave & toaster, air & water, laundry & dishwasher, and oven & cooktop. On each sheet, there are thin and angular tactile symbols as well as Braille words for essential category-specific functions, e.g. “power”, “reset”, “30 seconds”, etc. on the microwave and toaster one. These are not only tailored to the GE brand, but also compatible with various other brands, making them accessible to a broader usage. In addition, users with low-vision who may not be able to read Braille can also benefit from enhanced visibility of labels by using the extra high-contrast stickers on the sheets.
Transparent and Durable Vinyl Material
To accommodate daily use of home appliances, the stickers are made with thin and firm vinyl with high durability against greasy, humid, and changing-temperature environments. Its flexibility enables adhering to curved surfaces. Furthermore, with resistance to moisture, heat, or wear and tear, the vinyl material ensures the stickers maintain tactile integrity over long-term frequent usage. Vinyl’s transparency also allows users to place them directly over the existing appliance labels without obscuring them.
Why is the kit accessible?
From the perspective of the Social Model of Disability, the issue is not the individual or the disability, but rather the social barriers and negative attitudes engraved in the society. Inaccessible design and the lack of inclusive infrastructure have limited their participation. By transforming the smooth surfaces into ones with tactile stickers, the home appliances are enabled to “speak” the language of people who are blind or visually impaired and create barrier-free home environments for them.
It also aligns with the Functional Model of Disability, which focuses on applying technological advancements to eliminate the limitations affected by impairments. The kit directly addresses their challenges in identifying locations and functions of appliance controls by introducing tactile solutions, adapting appliances to be functionally navigable.
Limitations of the current design
Users who are blind or visually impaired may require assistance to manually apply the stickers onto accurate spots, and the predefined stickers may not accommodate all appliance models or unique user needs.