>Subject: RadioShack Announces Point of Sale, Web
>Site Initiative for Customers with Visual Impairments
>Date: Wed, 13 Jun 2007 06:42:59 -0600
>From: "Barbara Jackson LeMoine" <[log in to unmask]>
>
>The following statement was released to the
>press earlier this morning. For more
>information, contact Mark Richert, Director,
>Public Policy, American Foundation for the
>Blind, <mailto:[log in to unmask]>[log in to unmask]
>
>
>
>RadioShack Announces Point of Sale, Web Site Initiative
>
>for Customers with Visual Impairments
>
>
>
>Blind Community Leaders Applaud RadioShack’s Commitment
>
>
>
>Washington, DC (June 13, 2007) -- In a move
>praised by state and national blindness
>organizations, RadioShack (NYSE:RSH) today
>announced it has undertaken a nationwide
>initiative to improve services for RadioShack’s
>customers with visual impairments. As part of
>the program, RadioShack will install new point
>of sale equipment with tactile keypads to
>protect the privacy and security of visually
>impaired shoppers and will make improvements to
>its Web site that will benefit visually impaired
>shoppers and other customers with disabilities.
>
>
>
>Today’s announcement is the result of
>collaboration between RadioShack and major
>blindness organizations including the American
>Foundation for the Blind, American Council of
>the Blind, and California Council of the Blind.
>
>
>
>Point of Sale Improvements
>
>
>
>It is anticipated that by the end of September
>of this year, every RadioShack store will have
>the new device, which is designed to protect the
>financial privacy of blind and visually impaired
>shoppers. The devices, manufactured by Ingenico
>(<http://www.ingenico.com/>www.ingenico.com),
>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.
>
>
>
>Blind community representatives praised
>RadioShack’s plan to upgrade its point of sale
>devices. “Point of sale devices must have
>tactile keys so blind people do not have to
>share their PIN with strangers,” explained
>Melanie Brunson, executive director of the
>American Council of the Blind. “Today’s
>announcement, and the collaboration that led to
>it, demonstrates RadioShack’s understanding of
>this fact and its strong commitment to blind and visually impaired
customers.”
>
>
>
>Web Site Access
>
>
>
>Today’s initiative includes RadioShack’s
>commitment to design
><http://www.radioshack.com/>www.RadioShack.com
>in accordance with guidelines issued by the Web
>Accessibility Initiative (WAI) of the World Wide
>Web Consortium (w3c)
>(<http://www.w3.org/wai>www.w3.org/wai). 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.
>
>
>
>"Web site accessibility is of critical
>importance to both the blind community and to
>people with disabilities generally,” said Paul
>Schroeder, vice president, programs and policy
>group of the American Foundation for the
>Blind. “We applaud RadioShack's leadership role
>in committing to address the accessibility of
>its Web site, thereby improving the browsing and
>shopping experience for a broad range of on-line shoppers."
>
>
>
>“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 www.RadioShack.com and complements our
>on-going efforts to improve the shopping
>experience of all our customers with
>disabilities,” said Frank Espinoza, vice
>president–store operations of RadioShack
>Corporation. “RadioShack would like to thank the
>American Council of the Blind, the California
>Council of the Blind, and the American
>Foundation for the Blind, for their cooperation
>and expertise in making RadioShack a better
>place to shop for our customers with disabilities.”
>
>
>
>About RadioShack Corporation
>
>
>
>RadioShack Corporation (NYSE: RSH) is one of the
>nation's most experienced and trusted consumer
>electronics specialty retailers. The company has
>a presence through more than 6,000
>company-operated stores and dealer outlets in
>the United States, over 100 RadioShack locations
>in Mexico and nearly 800 wireless phone kiosks.
>RadioShack's dedicated force of knowledgeable
>and helpful sales associates has been
>consistently recognized by several independent
>groups as providing the best customer service in
>the consumer electronics and wireless
>industries. Operating from convenient and
>comfortable neighborhood and mall locations,
>RadioShack stores deliver personalized product
>and service solutions within a few short minutes
>of where most Americans either live or work. For
>more information on RadioShack Corporation, or
>to purchase items online, visit
<http://www.radioshack.com/>www.radioshack.com.
>
>
>
>
>
>About American Council of the Blind (ACB) and
>California Council of the Blind (CCB)
>
>
>
>American Council of the Blind is a national
>consumer-based advocacy organization working on
>behalf of blind and visually impaired Americans
>throughout the country, with members organized
>through seventy state and special interest
>affiliates. California Council of the Blind is
>the California affiliate of the ACB, and is a
>statewide membership organization, with 40 local
>chapters and statewide special interest
>associations. ACB and CCB are dedicated to
>improving the quality of life, equality of
>opportunity and independence of all people who
>have visual impairments. Their members and
>affiliated organizations have a long history of
>commitment to the advancement of policies and
>programs which will enhance independence for
>people who are blind and visually
>impaired. More information about ACB and CCB
>can be found by visiting
><http://www.acb.org/>www.acb.org and
><http://www.ccbnet.org/>http://www.ccbnet.org/.
>
>
>
>About American Foundation for the Blind
>
>
>
>The American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) is a
>national nonprofit that expands possibilities
>for people with vision loss. AFB's priorities
>include broadening access to technology;
>elevating the quality of information and tools
>for the professionals who serve people with
>vision loss; and promoting independent and
>healthy living for people with vision loss by
>providing them and their families with relevant
>and timely resources. AFB is also proud to house
>the Helen Keller Archives and honor the over
>forty years that Helen Keller worked tirelessly
>with AFB. For more information visit us online at www.afb.org.
>
>
>
>
>
>###
>
>=======================================
>Barbara Jackson LeMoine
>Policy Analyst
>American Foundation for the Blind
>Public Policy Center
>Washington, DC
>202-408-8169
>E-mail: <mailto:[log in to unmask]>[log in to unmask]
>Web: <http://www.afb.org/gov.asp>http://www.afb.org/gov.asp
>Expanding possibilities for people with vision lossTM
>=======================================
>
>
>
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