8th May 2024
Question 1. How do VIPs know when they’re washing machine has finished its cycle?
Recommendations: washing machine doors will not open until the cycle is complete. Set a timer on your iPhone for the expected length of a particular cycle. bump ons help differentiate between different cycles.
Question 2. Is there an accessible dictaphone?
Recommendations: use Voice Memos on iPhone which comes as standard and is easy to navigate using VoiceOver. Android similarly has a voice recorder app that works in much the same way.
Voice Memos will appear in the order they are recorded stating the date, time and length of recording. They can easily be renamed for ease of reference.
https://insider.iphonelife.com/member-content/tips-results?title=Voice+Memos&tid_1=All
Question 3. what do people suggest if dial a ride fails to turn up and there are replacement bus services and other barriers to taking public transport?
Recommendations: book Dial-a-Ride as early as possible i.e. two weeks in advance of the journey.
contact Tfl to get help from their travel mentoring scheme:
Email travelmentor@tfl.gov.uk or call 020 3054 4361.
If your journey is only on the DLR or only on the Elizabeth line you may prefer to use Travel Ambassadors who offer advice on those specific networks and can accompany you on bespoke journeys.
To book an appointment, email:
DLR: ambassadors@keolisameydlr.co.uk
Elizabeth line: ambassadors.team@mtrel.co.uk
Contact your sensory impairment team to discuss mobility training and to find out how taxi card allowance is administered within your borough.
also, ask if you might be eligible for additional support and/or a support worker.
Depending on your destination, is there a volunteer who can help by giving you a lift or is there someone else coming from a similar direction that you can share a taxi with?
Question 4. How do VIPs manage the amount of milk they are adding into a cup? Recommendations: liquid level indicators are great for larger volumes but perhaps an optic or similar could work. these work for plastic milk bottles:
Question 5. How do VIPs cut their toenails?
Recommendations: your GP can refer you for free podiatry if you have certain health conditions including diabetes. As a VIP it is worth asking your GP about this so that your nails and feet are cared for safely and correctly.
Local nail salons are also a good and cost-effective option.
Question 6: Why is my Safari which is set to Google showing me US sites rather than UK; I have all my settings set to say that I am in the UK?
Recommendations: perhaps try another search engine, put UK in the search bar, double check all settings to ensure you are sharing your exact location.
Other recommendations:
- Transport for London has launched a six-month trial called Access DLR to help make journeys on the DLR more accessible.
This pre-booked assistance is available seven days a week, between 07:00 and 19:00 each day for anyone aged 18 and over.
Access DLR is for anyone who needs support to travel. You will be met by a member of staff at the DLR station of your choice and accompanied until you reach the final DLR station on your journey.
Assistance can be booked online or by phone on 08082 81 66 55.
This is initially being run as a trial until November 2024. Every station on the DLR has step-free access.
- Honda has launched the Honda Scenic Audio Which is the world’s first AI-powered accessibility app to enhance journeys in vehicles for visually impaired passengers https://mobilemarketingmagazine.com/honda-ai-trip/.
- Regarding Celeste glasses, https://www.seleste.co/ thesuggestion is still to wait a little while, unless willing to use them for home use or assistance out on the road as they do take some time to react or to let you know what you’re looking at but their sleekness and simplicity of design are plus points. Forum/assistive-technology/seleste-glasses
https://www.applevis.com/search
- Be My Eyes Accessibility with GPT-4o is currently being tested.
Follow Andy’s adventures around London with OpenAI’s new GPT-4o model, as tested by Andy from Be My Eyes.