E-Commerce Times Talkback

Re: Bringing E-Commerce to the Blind
Posted by: ECT News 2001-05-30 14:03:43

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UK brick-and-click retailer Tesco this week launched an
online service that will allow blind people to shop over
the Internet without using special equipment. The system
uses technology that converts text to speech, describing
products on the company's Tesco Direct Web site and
guiding consumers through the buying process.
A Tesco spokesman said the site is the first of its kind.

Tesco says the plan makes good business sense as well, allowing the
company to tap into an underserved market. "One of the groups of
society that benefits from home shopping in general is disabled people,"
Tesco spokesman Russell Craig told the E-Commerce Times.

Re: Bringing E-Commerce to the Blind
Posted by: Dag Byrneit 2001-05-30 14:06:19 In reply to: ECT News

I enjoyed this story, and would be interested in more information on how the Internet is dealing with people with disabilities.

I did feel that this story begged for a more sophisticated or precise definition of what "blind" is. Obviously, there are different definitions of "visually impaired" and I'm wondering at what level of blindness this technology stops being effective.