OMG! It is the weekend of February 22nd, and the final weekend of February! Where is the time going? Today I am pleased to share our president’s editorial with you, where Donna J. Jodhan zooms in on a problematic situation with QR codes. Please read her editorial and send your feedback to her at info@sterlingcreations.ca. I’m Scott Savoy, wishing you a great winter’s weekend.
QR Codes Are Leaving Us Behind
by Donna J. Jodhan
A few months ago, I posted an editorial regarding the dilemma that is presently being faced by blind/vision-impaired persons, seniors, and those who face difficulty reading from a TV screen. It involves interacting with QR codes. Once more, I am going to plead my case, and hopefully it will reach the eyes and ears of those reading this.
In short, I respectfully submit the following:
Each time we are told to point our cell phones to a screen and take a picture of the QR code, then guess what? As a vision-impaired person, I cannot do this, because I cannot see where to point my cell phone to the appropriate spot on the screen. This totally prevents me from engaging in any sort of online shopping, and I am asking the ladies on The View show to please fix this. They can do this by simply announcing the code orally.
Each time someone instructs us to use the QR code on our screen in order to enter a contest or to use the next time we visit a store or restaurant, it is the same disheartening feeling, because as someone who is vision impaired, I simply cannot do this. It is totally impossible, and it is the same for those who either cannot read what is on the screen because of poor eye sight or an inability to simply read the contents of a screen.
I can only urge and plead with those who engage in asking us to use QR codes to please fix this. You are leaving us out! You are erecting a barrier to our ability to take advantage of products and services that the mainstream person has access to. You are stomping on our right to equality.
The fix is a very simple one: just provide us with an audio announcement. It is just like when the announcer says call the number on your screen or when we are told to text the number on the screen. All I am asking for is that audio announcements are provided to tell us what either the QR code is or what the number is that is being shown on a screen.
Just my two cents for today.
To learn more about me as an award-winning sight-loss coach and advocate, visit www.donnajodhan.com.
