SAN FRANCISCO: Revel Systems has introduced a new hardware and software product bundle aimed at providing technology features for people with vision disabilities. The inherent touchscreen nature of iPad POS terminals are without tactile qualities, making them not fully accessible and independently usable by people with vision disabilities. Revel’s new accessibility bundle allows its merchants and customers of restaurants, grocery stores, retailers and quick-serve establishments, to easily use Revel’s award winning platform.
Currently, most touchscreen point-of-sale solutions don’t provide a way for people with vision disabilities to securely enter their debit card pin numbers or signature screens when making a purchase at the checkout. Revel’s new accessibility bundle includes Bluetooth enabled keyboards with textured keys, allowing full use of the Revel POS. Without these hardware features, those with visual impairments are forced to disclose private pin information to store staff to help input critical information.
Many POS tablets also don’t offer a way for people with vision disabilities to access verbal menu cues, demanding reliance on another person to assist at checkout. With the goal of making point of sale fully accessible by all, Revel has also incorporated vocal command prompts and software features so that users can search and access the business function display menu. He or she can conduct business as usual via audio prompts from the POS.
“Revel’s philosophy has always been providing the highest-grade technology to all businesses, large and small,” said Chris Ciabarra, CTO of Revel Systems. “As part of our mission, we believe business owners have the responsibility to serve all populations, including people with vision disabilities. It has been a priority to create a version of our point of sale that would allow people with vision disabilities to fully access our iPad POS. This new product will empower these consumers to function independently within retail establishments by providing them with full access to the Revel Systems iPad POS.”
Revel is one of the few point of sale companies that has developed features to accommodate the visually impaired. With the Revel Accessibility App, employees and customers have full access to the Revel back-end system as well as menu items, including the ability to add items to an order, add discounts to an order, pay with credit card or cash, delete items and even add modifiers to products. Through the tactile Bluetooth keyboard linked with the Revel Accessibility Mode, which makes commands audible, the new accessibility bundle allows all blind and visually impaired business owners, employees, and customers the ability for independent control of the point of sale system.
This announcement comes on the heels of a class action lawsuit filed towards numerous businesses who use touchscreen point of sale solutions last month for discriminating against certain customers, thereby violating the American Disability Act Section III. Apple, among other solutions, is facing this lawsuit as a result of not making their terminals accessible by employees and customers who are visually impaired. Revel has been working to make its point of sale solution fully accessible for quite some time, and now more than ever it is clear that this is necessary.
For more information, visit http://revelup.com.