As a part of escaping the chilly Wisconsin winter, my wife and I are staying in a rental condo in warmer weather for for the next several weeks. Using the microwave and water dispenser on the refrigerator today I was reminded of the small but significant things when it comes to accessibility that can bring joy.
Flat touch screen-like control panels are pretty much universal on kitchen appliances these days. I often find myself playing the Button Lottery as it were, pressing random buttons until I get the device to do what I want as a result. When it is early in the day and all you want to do is heat something up or get some water, well I wouldn’t say this rises to the level of a full annoyance but it it does get tedious. Sure, a bit of tape or some other marking that isn’t permanent can be added on strategic buttons but it is just one more thing you have to consider.
Both the microwave and refrigerator in our rental condo are handy because of how Whirlpool, at least on these models, has constructed their version of the control panels. On the microwave, all the buttons have slightly raised outlines of the button shapes so it is easy to figure out the numbers and make strategic guesses about which buttons will stop and start independently. The water dispenser has a control surface that is a feel much like fine-grain sand paper. The shapes of the individual buttons are cutouts that are completely smooth and again lead to easy guesses about which will be water and ice.
Sure, I could point out more that could be done to enhance the accessibility here. I have reduced, not eliminated I suppose, my game of Button Lottery. Still, simple things matter and these small changes make a huge difference in the practical experience of appliance use. It is always nice to be able to start the day where something you are trying to do more or less just works.
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