New Partnership Creates Groundbreaking Product

American Printing House has partnered with General Electric (GE) Appliances in the creation of stickers to ensure accessible home appliances and greater independence for those who are blind or low vision.

Last year, GE reached out to APH with an idea for a product after attending an accessibility workshop put on by staff members of APH. GE appliances had not only learned the importance of workplace accessibility but saw an opportunity to fill a need within their own products.

Andrew Moulton, Director of Technology and Manufacturing Research at APH, explained that as products become ‘smarter’ they also become less accessible. “Everything is flat screen, you know, there’s no physical buttons or tactile touch screen,” said Moulton. Joe Hodge, Technical Quality Assurance Supervisor at APH, said that in his experience shopping for appliances as a blind person he often searches for the oldest model possible. This way, it’s more likely to have buttons he can navigate independently.

After learning about APH’s selection of tactile stickers and overlays, GE felt there was an opportunity to solve this problem. The process consisted of developing an idea, producing prototypes, and creating a lot of surveys for the redesign. APH agreed to produce the stickers in-house as efficiently as possible to keep the products at a low price. It was important to GE to ensure the product was not only available, but attainable.

Joe Hodge recalls that the desire to produce intricate designs and cover a wide scope occasionally got in the way of the initial purpose. “When we sat down with them, they had over 100 stickers with different symbols on them, and the symbols would range from ‘start’ to something like a pizza setting on a microwave. They had some things I had never seen before, like crushed ice,” said Joe. “No one ever teaches you what crushed ice looks like in school.” After a few rounds of receptive editing to the product, GE was able to come away with a set design that not only looked nice but was extremely functional.

What the team did not expect to follow was the widespread recognition of the product as something innovative and forward moving for the future of accessibility in appliances. The product was announced at the Kitchen and Bath show in Las Vegas. A huge gathering for what’s new in the world of home tech and appliances, the show attracts a lot of attention as it sets the stage for revolutionary tech coming in the following year. USA Today chooses 15 new products each year to award ‘best in show,’ and to the team’s surprise, APH’s new stickers were 2nd on the list. “I think that’s pretty major because the other appliances on the list were smart televisions and app based. You know, high tech stuff,” said Andrew. The fact that this super low tech set of accessible stickers was mentioned is a huge win for both GE and APH,” said Andrew.

The stickers have gone on to win more awards within the past year, but more importantly, they’ve provided individuals who are blind or low vision with a greater opportunity for independence in their home.

To learn more or purchase your own set, visit GE’s website.

https://www.aph.org/new-partnership-creates-groundbreaking-product/