New RadioShack programs aid blind shoppers

WASHINGTON RadioShack is offering improved services for its visually impaired customers, the company announced today. The company worked with major blindness organizations including the American Foundation for the Blind, American Council of the Blind, and California Council of the Blind to develop point-of-sale and Web site functions that are user-friendly for the visually impaired, as well as other customers with disabilities.

The company expects that by the end of September of this year, every RadioShack store will have a new point-of-sale device, which is designed to protect the financial privacy of blind and visually impaired shoppers. The devices, manufactured by Ingenico, have tactile keys arranged like a standard telephone keypad and plug easily into existing point of sale payment terminals. The new units will allow RadioShack shoppers who have difficulty reading information on a touch screen to privately and independently enter their PIN, telephone number and other confidential information.

RadioShack's said it will also design  its Web site in accordance with guidelines issued by the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) of the World Wide Web Consortium. The guidelines, which do not affect the content or look and feel of a Web site, ensure that Web sites are accessible to persons with a wide range of disabilities. The guidelines are of particular benefit to blind computer users who use screen reader or magnification technology on their computers and who rely on a keyboard instead of a mouse.

"The program announced today is one way we can help customers who are blind or visually impaired enjoy a better shopping experience in their neighborhood RadioShack stores as well as on http://www.RadioShack.com and complements our on-going efforts to improve the shopping experience of all our customers with disabilities," said Frank Espinoza, vp of store operations of RadioShack.