In today's Sunday NYTimes newspaper there is an article about new
innovations such as flat screen TV being installed in hotels.
Will your favorite soon sport inaccessible technology?
Here's a quote from the article, used as a teachable moment here.

"Technology like wireless Internet can help hotels in older buildings stay
up to date without the expense of running extra wiring to each room, said
Vijay
Dandapani, the chief operating officer of Apple Core Hotels, which has five
moderate-priced hotels in Manhattan. "We have had WiFi for two years," he
said.

Flat-panel televisions are being installed in a 132-room La Quinta hotel
that the company is building adjacent to MacArthur Airport in Islip on Long
Island.
he said. "You put the flat screen on the wall and the room feels bigger," he
said. "The only furniture you have is a dresser, and it looks nicer."
Mr. Born said he was installing flat screen televisions in the Pickwick Arms
Hotel on East 51st Street, between Second and Third Avenues in Manhattan;
the
hotel is undergoing renovation. It is a minimalist "pod hotel" with small
rooms, some with bunk beds, aimed mainly at young travelers on tight
budgets.
Rooms with bunk beds will have televisions for each bed that flip out from
the wall, with earphones, so that the occupants can watch different programs
in peace.

He said he was considering installing a check-in kiosk at the Pickwick that
would largely eliminate the front-desk function. A guest arriving at the
hotel
would insert a credit card, register electronically and receive a key card
from the machine to gain access to the room."

I wonder if these proposed kiosks and, in fact, the current flat screen TVs
are accessible. Maybe Mr.
Dandapani at Apple Core needs a call asking about access issues on his TVs
and kiosks?
You can call  call 1-800-567-7720(toll-free)
or +1-212-790-2710.
I have been told that this reservations number can also connect with
corporate headquarters so I will call and ask tomorrow.
Hope you will too!

This reminds me of the recent elevator article in AccessWorld talking about
touch pad elevators.
If we don't get in on the ground floor, they'll get ahead of us, just like
ATMs.  There is still a shocking lack of ATMs that are accessible here in
Maine.




posting from Emma's Family Farm
Windsor Maine;
Steve Hoad


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