Tripping January 28, 2021

In my immediate physical space, I like to keep order and have it free clear of clutter. Doors are closed, shoes put away and furniture in the same place. This is how a blind person keeps the home safe. There are still obstacles that occur, such as an open dish washer. In December, I mentioned that by tripping over the open door, I fell and broke my left hip. Now that I am healing, what do I do to make my home safe again? My husband, John was all for attaching an alarm to the door. He went to the Hardware store and bought a window alarm. This would emit a very loud continuous high pitch sound. It would be great to thwart a burglar but It made me avoid opening the dish washer. After a couple days of washing dishes by hand, My husband removed the alarm. Now what to do? I needed a reminder when the door was open. I looked on the internet, most of the alarms were constant and not made for appliances. Finally, I found a website,”The Blind Mice Mega Mall”. The group of virtual stores are owned and run by blind people. In the store,”Journeys”,I found an alarm that would start after a door was open for 45 seconds. The beep was intermittent and loud enough to get my attention. The small devise attached to the outside of the door with industrial double sided tape and runs on two double aa batteries. Before you think this is an endorsement, which it is, I had to spend three weeks to find such an item on the internet. This item was not on Amazon, Walmart or any hardware site. A member of one of my online blind groups told me to research store for the blind on the web. The old joke of a blind person taking three times the work to do what a visual person can do was true in this instant. I was proud that I did find the alarm and order it with little assistance. My point, is that the disabilities act was passed in1992. In 2010, companies on the internet were taken to court to make their websites accessible to all disabilities. Sadly this is not always the case. What can we do? Report companies that make it hard to find and order items online. Use the website that are accessible. Support new entrepreneurs that have products that the disabled need to be more independent .

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Hey Siri,

Hi Carol,

What can I do for you?

Search for an alarm for dish washer door.

“I seem to be having a problem with the connection.Try again later”.

After several try’s, I sigh and give up.

copyright 1/28/21carolfarn@aol.com

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