Walking is Overrated :: disability news, opinion, reviews, and a passion for accessibility » Signage

[funny] Danger! Wheelchairs!

Red — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 03:22:56 +0000

Saw this when I was out and about today… Had a chuckle!

Countdown’s “accessible” check-out is ridiculous

Red — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 01:17:31 +0000

After blogging about Countdown’s new inaccessible self-service kiosks, I was pleasantly surprised to find the following sign hung up adjacent to one of Countdown’s checkout aisles:

“Great!”, I thought. Low counter, reachable EFTPOS, pretty brunette on deck – here I come! So I made a bee-line for the identified checkout lane, only to discover:

Ha! Good one, Countdown, you almost had me thinking you were serious about accessibility.

Oh yeah?

Red — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 00:28:47 +0000

Air NZ’s accessible kiosks are truly wonderful things

Red — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 08:19:45 +0000

After writing that wee rant last week about Countdown’s wonderful new inaccessible self-service checkout kiosks, it got me thinking about better alternatives. I struggled at first to think of any company, either in NZ or overseas, that takes universal access seriously enough to incorporate it into any of its product design. And then it hit me. Our much-lauded national carrier, Air New Zealand, have these amazing checkin kiosks in their domestic terminal, one of which is not only totally accessible to those in wheelchairs but clearly signposted too!

You can see the great signage in the picture above, and let me tell you, these are an absolute treat to use. I fly with Air NZ quite frequently, and even though my visits require a trip to the special assistance counter to speak with airport staff, I always check in using the kiosks first, because it’s just such a wonderful experience. Sure, the user interface is great, and the process is simple, but the fact they care enough to put in a dedicated kiosk for those with limited mobility?

Well that, as they say, is priceless.

Disabled pedestrians forced to wear “signs” identifying them

Red — Sat, 30 May 2009 01:45:29 +0000

Horrifying news coming out of Indonesia. From the NZ Herald:

New traffic laws passed in Indonesia require disabled pedestrians to wear signs identifying them as handicapped.

AFP reports that amendments to local Traffic and Transport Law says “handicapped pedestrians must wear special and clear signs which can be easily recognised by other road users.”

Politician Ahman Muqowam told the news agency that the laws were designed to protect disabled people.

“This is a humanistic act. It’s for their safety on the streets,” he told AFP.

What are your feelings on this?

Cadbury’s dyslexia ads pulled

Red — Sat, 09 May 2009 11:59:31 +0000

It’s being reported that those distasteful Cadbury dyslexia advertisements I mentioned a few days ago have been pulled, as a result of numerous complaints.

Good to hear Cadbury’s listening, but let’s be honest: these never should’ve gone up in the first place.

Link to NZ Herald story

Wheelchairs up this way, please

Red — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 05:06:16 +0000

Oh yup. And how, exactly, is that meant to work?

Cheers to Matt from CCS Disability Action for the image

Ad agency using “wheelchairs” as a disincentive to not drink and drive?

Red — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 07:27:53 +0000

Apologies for the somewhat convoluted heading. However as it turns out, the below image depicting a (presumably) able-bodied guy sitting in a chair with wheels attached to the sides, is far from a quirky gimmick to attract customers. In fact, it’s part of an advertising campaign by Australian agency JAM to convince punters that drinking and driving is a bad idea. This ambient portion is backed up by a print campaign, which you can read here or by clicking on the image on the right.

In a nutshell, the campaign is saying, “If you drink and drive you might end up in a wheelchair, and that would be awful”. Now, whilst I don’t disagree that the experience of suffering a spinal cord injury would be traumatic to say the least, I hate the constant perpetuation of the message that life in a wheelchair is akin to hell on earth. And that seems to be exactly what this campaign is insinuating.

What do you think?

I want some chairs like this

Red — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 06:59:19 +0000

A fully inclusive cafe

Vector Arena’s bizarre lift signage

Red — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 01:50:16 +0000

Firstly, apologies for the shoddy image quality, but my god, what is this lift signage trying to say?! I actually cracked up when I saw it. I’m not quite sure how I never noticed it before. I’ll leave it up to your interpretation, but it sure is um, interesting…