It’s a known fact that the Disability Discrimination Act affects a lot of businesses in the UK so you may want to know how our kiosks can be DDA compliant. DDA is nothing negative, the act is in place to prevent negativity towards those who live with disabilities; instead there are certain guidelines that have been put into place to ensure kiosks are as accessible and user- friendly as possible.
For example; a common complaint with kiosks that use audio is that those with hearing difficulties can’t always hear the information being provided. To remedy this, the DDA suggests that all kiosks that use audio be fitted with a hearing loop system as a minimum requirement. More sophisticated systems may require headphone inputs – especially those that rely on voiceovers or trigger sounds.
Equally, people who suffer from vision impairments may require the text displayed on- screen to be magnified in order to digest the information correctly but fear not because here at Cammax we can implement this function with ease. It’s also worth ensuring the colours on your screen contrast clearly, and in this instance, we can also help.
For those with severe vision impairments; it may be best to introduce an audio description function or even a manned telephone line to ensure the user can still operate the kiosk. Keyboards are also a welcome addition to your DDA compliant kiosk, especially those with braille writing to guide the user appropriately.
One of the more important guidelines the DDA highlights is the need for wheelchair access. Regardless of your kiosk’s intended purpose; it’s best to cater for wheelchair accessibility which could be as simple as introducing a moveable screen that can be raised or lowered to meet the needs of the user.
Ideally, all kiosks should have a recessed area beneath the screen to allow a wheelchair user to access the kiosk’s screen from their seated position. Failing to provide this access contravenes the DDA and will no doubt lead to complications in the future but rest assured that we’ve got you covered.
As much as these are guidelines; it is considered unlawful to directly or indirectly discriminate against people with disabilities. This isn’t to say that any business or kiosk designers would deliberately limit access for those with disabilities but there could be a lack of consideration during the design phase that could be misconstrued as ignorance so stick with a manufacture you can trust!
If you need more information about our kiosks and DDA compliance then please get in touch today to discuss your requirements.