At doublelayer, re: audio feedback.
The problem with the blind using the self check out station is that we can't see to know where the bloody controls might be located.
Where is the part where you can keep the stuff you have yet to pay for? Where is the part to scan the stuff you want to pay for? Where do you put the stuff you've already paid for?
Where's the part where you feed in the bills? The coins? Where does your change come out from? Where does it spit out the reciept from?
And all that is *if* (and that's a very big if) we can even figure out the on screen controls in the first place.
If it doesn't allow the "touch to explore; lift your finger to select the choice you wanted; double tap to trigger" style of navigation then there's a damned good chance we'll never get to the point where we CAN pay for our stuff.
By the time I'm done trying to fight the self service station to do it, I could have stood in line at a (presumeably Sighted) checker, had it all scanned for me, rung up, payment given, change recieved, reciept crammed into a pocket, cart full of bagged stuff accepted, & headed for the door... Five Times Over.
My icecream will have melted, the eggs hatched, the beef come back to life, the vegetables sent root runners into the floor, my Poptarts expired, the Hot Pockets retired to someplace tropical, & the laundry liquid curdled from boredom.
=-j
Perhaps it's a braille thing. I can't read it (diabetes required finger pokes make reading it impossible through the callouses), but if there were a braille input method for those that can, that would probably help them help themselves.
Or just skip the damned thing, use a sighted helper to do your shopping with at hand, & let THEM do the check out crap. HA! Disability FTW! =-)P