Interesting news out of Scotland and the kiosks going in. Saw on Yahoo. Seems to be a group of eight comprised of kiosk.
Excerpt
Passengers at some of the UK’s most isolated railway stations will soon no longer need to wave down train drivers after a new system is installed.
Travellers at eight stations in the Scottish Highlands will be required to press a button at an electronic kiosk rather than use hand signals to request that the next train stops to let them board, Network Rail said.
The kiosks are linked to train drivers’ cabs by radio.
The new system will be used at Scotscalder, Altnabreac, Kinbrace, Kildonan, Dunrobin Castle, Rogart, Invershin and Culrain stations from summer 2022.
They are all on the Far North Line, which is the UK’s most northerly rail line.
There are around 135 stations on Britain’s railways where low demand means passengers are required to request that trains stop.
12/14/2021 Redbox kiosk news – On Tuesday, grocery store chain Hy-Vee announced the launch of a new national subsidiary, Redbox Rx.
Treatment on demand — Somewhat similar to Redbox movie machines located outside of stores like Walgreens, Redbox Rx is a health service that provides treatment on demand.
“What we’re really focused on is keeping the cost as low as possible for patients to both receive treatment, talk to a doctor, and also receive the prescription that they need,” he said. “So we’ve strategically decided to bypass insurance. At this time, most of our services are available lower than what your copay would be anyway.”
Sanders said the process is simple; individuals answer questions about their medical history and the treatment they are searching for, and then they are connected to a licensed medical professional. After the two parties decide on the right treatment, the order is filled and shipped to your door in 1 to 3 days.
“We make it easy for folks all across the nation to get access to prescription medications and have them shipped discretely directly to their door,” he said.
To his knowledge, Sanders said no other grocery store has a comparable service, essentially making this the first of its kind.
Redbox to Run Ads on 4,000 DVD Kiosks Digital Advertising
The company announced it has already deployed digital video signage on more than 2,000 kiosks so far, through a partnership with Velocity, who will operate the ad network. Sales for the new screens are being handled by Redbox in partnership with Screenvision Media
“The addition of Velocity screens gives us a powerful new way to promote new release titles with our content partners including all major Hollywood studios, as well as provide brands and studios a uniquely customizable out of home campaign, while also promoting our free streaming service and Redbox Entertainment originals in high trafficked locations,” Redbox CEO Galen Smith said in a statement.
Olea Kiosks, Inc. new Director of Sales is Daniel Olea. We are personally acquainted with Daniel and he will, undoubtedly, prove to be a strategic advantage. With the new millennials becoming a major segment of users his insight will prove invaluable. Congratulations from all of us at Industry Group!
Olea Kiosks®, Inc. Announces Director of Sales – Daniel Olea
Olea Kiosks® Inc., a visionary provider of innovative self-service kiosk solutions, today announced the expanded role of Daniel Olea to Director of Sales.
In this role, Daniel’s responsibilities will include both sales team leadership and revenue acceleration through new strategic vertical markets. Daniel will lead the sales team through its next stage of growth and continue to build and execute its corporate strategy.
As the fourth generation in the business, Daniel spent several years as an account executive with the company. With a strong understanding of strategic initiatives, in 2021, he was promoted to Director of Business Development and led the company in its development of long-term growth plans.
“With our focus on strategic growth, we need a sales leader that can set a strategy to propel us forward and lead and motivate the team to work towards our next objective,” explained CEO Frank Olea.
A new design for a much taller, 5G-enabled LinkNYC kiosk received a limited approval Monday—clearing one of the de Blasio administration’s central technology initiatives to restart in commercial and industrial districts following a three-year hiatus. Back in October The Public Design Commission panned the new taller design for 5G — 10/18/2021 from Crains
But the restart of the LinkNYC program—which seven years ago promised to replace city payphones with free Wi-Fi kiosks—will not yet take place in districts zoned for residential. The Public Design Commission voted against allowing the proposed 32-foot-tall kiosks in residential areas without further study.
Called the Link5G, the taller kiosks are an attempt to reboot the public-private initiative by pairing free Wi-Fi with the next-generation 5G cellular service. The previous LinkNYC effort stalled out when the private operator, CityBridge, fell millions behind sales projections for display advertising on the kiosks, which was supposed to fund the Wi-Fi. The updated project will be funded partly through fees collected from cell carriers in exchange for hosting 5G equipment.
Signe Nielsen, president of the commission, said the commissioners would reconsider allowing the equipment in residential and historic districts once there is more financial data on the rollout for the rest of the city.
The Public Design Commission, an appointed board with oversight of art and infrastrcuture on public spaces, in its vote heeded the concerns of some neighborhoods and preservationists groups. Those groups noted the 5G kiosks are three times taller than the original design and will be led by the same operator that fell $70 million in debt to the city for agreed upon revenue-sharing payments.
On the other hand, proponents of the project warned that the limited approval could hurt LinkNYC’s ability to address inequities in internet access throughout the city. More than one million New Yorkers lack a broadband subscription and LinkNYC’s operators say the program could bring both free Wi-Fi and greater fiber wiring to neighborhoods where access is most limited.
While the initiative once promised to bring free Wi-Fi citywide, the existing Links are heavily focused in Manhattan. CityBridge is operated by outdoor advertising company Intersection, which counts Sidewalk Labs (an offshoot of Google parent company Alphabet) as an investor.
The Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications, which oversees LinkNYC, agreed earlier this year to restructure the deal to accommodate 5G equipment as a more sustainable revenue stream. ZenFi Networks, a telecom infrastructure company, agreed to invest $200 million in CityBridge to help restart the program as part of the larger 5G buildout in New York.
The new deal requires that at least 2,000 5G-enabled Links be placed outside of Midtown and Lower Manhattan, bringing both 5G connectivity and free public Wi-Fi to areas that are underserved for internet options. CityBridge’s annual ad revenue sharing requirements to the city were cut significantly, so long as the company pays back the money it owes.
What’s next for LinkNYC
DOITT Commissioner Jessica Tisch said the initial Link5G rollout is still possible without residential neighborhoods included, though she cautioned that the policy will hurt the program’s ability to bridge the digital divide.
“Will this delay the rollout into residential? Yes,” Tisch told the design commission. “But I feel like this is as reasonable a proposal as I am going to get.”
CityBridge and DOITT say the height is necessary to meet federal guidelines for cellular equipment and to provide a stronger overall signal. Moreover, the single design will allow multiple carriers to install cellular equipment in a single place, potentially cutting down on the overall level of equipment for 5G.
See the proposed new look for the LinkNYC kiosk
Tisch said DOITT could return to the commission after several months with updated data on the commercial and industrial Link5G installations in order to get residential approval. CityBridge is also required to submit a more detailed plan for educational outreach about Link5G.
“We are both pleased that the PDC approved the design for Link5G and are excited to bring the benefits of free high-speed Wi-Fi and 5G service to millions of New Yorkers, which is critical to fulfilling the city’s equity goals and helping close the digital divide,” said Nick Colvin, CEO of CityBridge. “We look forward to expanding the program to residential areas.”
Following the vote, Tisch added in a statement that the city also has gotten cell carriers to agree to a universal design for 5G equipment on street poles and rooftops.
“This did not happen in a vacuum: it took a collaborative effort between government, design experts, and the private sector, including all of the major telecom carriers,” Tisch said. “This approved streetscape of the future, coupled with the contractual underpinnings of the 5G buildout, should keep New York City on the cutting edge for years to come.”
Under its original 15-year contract signed in 2014, the vendor, CityBridge, was supposed to have installed 3,153 kiosks by July 20, 2020. But as of that date, it had only built 1,869 — more than half of which are concentrated in the tonier parts of Manhattan and Brooklyn. The Bronx, where city officials estimate 38% of households lack high-speed internet service, only has 137 kiosks, less than half the number built in the Manhattan ZIP code that contains Times Square, DiNapoli’s office found.
Moreover, CityBridge, a consortium of tech companies that contributed to the kiosks, has been slow to send the city government its cut of the advertising revenue it collects. According to its original contract, CityBridge was required to pay New York City either $20 million or 50% of ad revenues annually, whichever sum was greater. But by March 2020, CityBridge was $68.93 million behind, including interest.
The kiosks were also found to often be in poor condition. Of 227 LinkNYC locations auditors checked, 76% were found to have “cleanliness and/or operation issues, including dirty/grimy tablet screens; physical damage; and defective screens/screen icons, telephones and USB charging ports,” the report read. There also hasn’t been a new kiosk installed since 2018.
What is LinkNYC?
LinkNYC is the New York City branch of an international infrastructure project to create a network covering several cities with free Wi-Fi service. The office of New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the plan on November 17, 2014, and the installation of the first kiosks, or “Links,” started in late 2015. Wikipedia
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) requests public comments on the Draft of Promoting Access to Voting: Recommendations for Addressing Barriers to Private and Independent Voting for People with Disabilities. Under Executive Order 14019 on Promoting Access to Voting, NIST is directed to identify barriers to private and independent voting for people with disabilities, make recommendations to remove these barriers, and evaluate the steps needed to ensure that the online Federal Voter Registration Form is accessible to people with disabilities. The Draft is available in the Federal Register.
The Draft was developed by NIST using information collected through the Request for Information that was published in the Federal Register on June 16, 2021, reviews of reports, papers and other literature, and engagement with stakeholder organizations and election officials. NIST is seeking comment on the Draft from persons with disabilities, disability advocacy groups, assistive technology vendors and professionals, non-partisan voting promotion groups, voting technology vendors, election officials, and other stakeholders.
Public comments must be received by 5:00 pm ET on November 22, 2021. Comments may be submitted at www.regulations.gov under NIST-2021-0005-0001 or by email at [email protected]. Complete instructions for comment submission can be found in the Federal Register notice. For questions about this request for public comment, contact Kevin Mangold, NIST, by phone at 1-301-975-5628 or email [email protected]. Users of telecommunication devices for the deaf, or a text telephone, may call the Federal Relay Service at 1-800-877-8339.
Comments for Next Rulemaking Session
You are welcome to submit suggestions and comments for the U.S. Access Board to consider during their next rulemaking session for kiosks and self-service. You also have until November 20th to make add comments for Voting and Accessibility — here is the Google form
Posted on Digital-Signage.blog – Redbox digital signage is now a real thing here in 2021. Should be a good test for DOOH network like Velocity and whether it can increase the visibility and impact of Redbox kiosks. We haven’t seen exactly how they intend to display the digital advertising. Usually that might be via a dedicated topper as opposed to the main user video selection screen. This technology group being used by Redbox is also active in the Checkout Aisle digital signage segment which sports a large number of captive viewers.
Redbox Coming Soon – Kiosk Digital Signage
From businesswire Dec2021 – Redbox promotes new movie releases and its free streaming service, and offer advertising opportunities in high traffic locations. Rebox coming soon with new digital signage for the kiosks.
CHICAGO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Redbox (NASDAQ: RDBX), a leading entertainment company, today announced it has deployed digital video signage on the top of over 2,000 kiosks across the US, with nearly 4,000 expected total installations. Through a partnership with Velocity, A Managed Service Company, the new video screens give the company a powerful new way to partner with Hollywood studios to promote new release movies, its rapidly growing free streaming service, as well as provide advertising opportunities for national and hyper-local media campaigns that will be seen by millions of consumers in high traffic locations.
“Velocity has been very bullish on the retail sector and is continuously seeking additional partnerships to grow within the industry. We are proud to partner with Redbox to deliver an industry-leading digital signage solution to enhance and elevate the existing Redbox kiosks”
Velocity, which has expanded its footprint of digital signage networks, will source, operate, and support the Redbox signage network. The addition of the Redbox network enhances Velocity’s grocery presence, which was initiated by its acquisition of Impax Media, a checkout aisle digital signage network, in September 2020. Velocity has strategically developed its digital-out-of-home (DOOH) media portfolio to create cross-industry partnerships that connect high-impact environments for its advertising customers.
“The addition of Velocity screens gives us a powerful new way to promote new release titles with our content partners including all major Hollywood studios, as well as provide brands and studios a uniquely customizable out of home campaign, while also promoting our free streaming service and Redbox Entertainment originals in high trafficked locations,” said Galen Smith, CEO, Redbox. “We’ve already seen success with the screens we’ve tested to date, and we’re excited to see this quickly scale and potentially grow to additional kiosks in the future.”
“Velocity has been very bullish on the retail sector and is continuously seeking additional partnerships to grow within the industry. We are proud to partner with Redbox to deliver an industry-leading digital signage solution to enhance and elevate the existing Redbox kiosks,” said Greg Kiley, Chairman and CEO of Velocity. “Redbox is a formidable presence in the retail space, especially in national grocery stores. We look forward to helping Redbox expand its advertising capabilities.”
Direct ad sales for the new screens are handled by Redbox in partnership with Screenvision, and through connected programmatic exchanges.
About Redbox Kiosk
Redbox (NASDAQ: RDBX) is a leading entertainment company that gives consumers access to a large variety of content across digital and physical media. The company operates a rapidly growing digital streaming service that provides both ad-supported (AVOD) and paid movies from Hollywood studios and hundreds of content partners, as well as over 120 channels of free ad-supported streaming television (FAST). The Redbox app is available on major entertainment platforms that include Roku devices, connected TVs, gaming platforms, the web as well iOS and Android devices. Redbox also operates its popular kiosks across the US at thousands of retail locations – giving consumers affordable access to the latest in entertainment. The company produces, acquires, and distributes movies through its Redbox Entertainment™ label, providing rights to talent-led films that are distributed across Redbox’s digital and physical services as well as through third-party digital services. Headquartered just outside of Chicago, Redbox has offices in Los Angeles and Seattle. For more information visit www.redbox.com.
About Velocity MSC
Velocity delivers customized managed services such as IT support, network management, voice and data connectivity, multinational data networking, on-site repairs and service, field project rollouts and implementations, free-to-guest TV and Wi-Fi solutions, digital signage and DOOH media solutions, and more in the retail, hospitality, healthcare, and entertainment industries.
Founded in 2005, Velocity is a privately held company headquartered in Holland, Ohio. Today, the company has approximately 500 employees, 13 redundant data centers, 5,500+ certified technicians throughout the U.S., and 450 carrier agreements and is a CLEC in all 50 states. Velocity is a proud member of the DPAA. For more information: www.velocitymsc.com.
More information on McDonalds incorporating screen reader software from Vispero.
JAWS Kiosk will allow blind and low vision users the ability to interact with a self order kiosk by inserting headphones into the headphone jack, located on the navigation pad, which will then navigate the kiosk screen, reading the content as they move through the application.
It’s good to see accessibility options for users who are blind and/or have low vision being integrated in self-order kiosks at McDonalds.
In Brief
For those who are blind or those who have low vision, current kiosks are not accessible
Tested on corporate stores and now moving to franchisees
Headphone jack on POS terminal used
Excerpt:
Those who wanted to skip the line to order at the register at McDonald’s were likely pleased when the self-order kiosks first arrived in 2018 (via Forbes). Yet, the kiosks were not well suited to all customers. According to QSR Web, McDonald’s is finally incorporating new kiosks with some new technology. For those who are blind or those who have low vision, the original kiosks were not accessible. However, the massive chain has had time to study how people interact with the kiosks and is now ready to implement new, more inclusive ones.
To make this happen, McDonald’s plans to incorporate assistive technology created by Vispero into the new kiosks. The new systems have already been tested in select locations within the United States that were owned by corporate. Now, the kiosks are also being used at franchise locations. So, it will likely be sooner rather than later before everyone encounters the new style of self-order kiosks.
ll company-owned restaurants to offer screen-reader on their kiosks by 2022
More information
Mounting new keypads and headphone jacks to the touch-screen kiosks it introduced in 2015.
Blind users can connect their headphones to the system and browse the digital menu using screen-reader technology and tactile arrow buttons, adding items to their basket by pressing a central button.
McDonald’s said its existing self-service kiosks were rolled out in compliance with accessibility laws, including the Americans with Disabilities Act.
NFB raised its concerns with McDonald’s in 2019.
The technology will be added to all existing kiosks in company-owned restaurants in California, and 25% of existing kiosks in other U.S. states.
McDonald’s operates 5% of 14,000 U.S. restaurants
Long term (july 2022) new kiosks installed in any restaurants will include the accessibility function
Excerpt
The NFB raised its concerns with McDonald’s in 2019. The organizations worked together to create and test the new system, which employs existing technology developed by TPGi, an accessibility software provider and consulting firm owned by Vispero, and Storm Interface, which develops assistive hardware and trades as Keymat Technology Ltd.
The results of the collaboration are arriving as an increasing number of lawsuits over accessibility are being filed. Between January and June of this year, just over 6,300 suits were filed in federal court alleging violations of Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in public spaces and commercial facilities, according to the Chicago-based law firm Seyfarth Shaw LLP. The firm expects the number of those suits to exceed 12,000 this year, which would be the most since it began tracking them in 2013.
We are pleased to welcome Intel as a 2 year Gold Sponsor. James Tan, Dane and Bart head up the team. Finding Kiosk Solutions via the Intel Marketplace is one of the GoTo sites for the kiosk industry. For example if you goto Intel Solutions Marketplace and search for COVID you find the KMA Covid Catalog.
It’s a good exposition of process, or at least one or two versions of process.
Dave Haynes always does a really good job. We most strongly recommend following him.
The fellow is Chief of Security so he goes a bit overboard on authentication and verification
Worth remembering the current model is for someone to hold out a piece of paper or mobile phone and “show it” to some overworked, underpaid, paranoid restaurant temporary employee. Counterfeit cash at retail gets a closer inspection than that.
He notes the inevitable complexity of super authentication and “fakers”. What percentage of fakers might there be we wonder. There is always a certain percentage. Most people are honest so most credentials shown will be fine.
He wasn’t aware of any, though we checked with Pyramid out of Germany (with US office FYI) and they have them.
He was pretty complimentary regarding Canadiens (practicing our French) though he didn’t mention their hockey teams…
There’s been a lot of talk about vaccine passports as the numbers of fully vaccinated people have risen in many to most first world countries, and venues from restaurants to giant sports stadiums have started talking about requiring proof of being jabbed as a requirement of admission.
But how is that done efficiently and securely? And how are fraudulent papers identified and rejected?
One of the ways to process people quickly and accurately is using readers and scanners, handheld or as self-service kiosks. The idea is that you’d have a government-issued vaccine passport that has validated vaccine records, plus some sort of image database that confirms you are who you say you are. You walk up to a scanner, it does its thing, and you’re in … or you’re rejected.
The hardware side of this, for kiosk and touchscreen manufacturers, is probably not all that complicated. But the back-end software and database side is hugely complicated.
I had a great discussion with Tony Anscombe, the Chief Security Evangelist for the tech firm ESET. We get into the opportunities and challenges facing any AV/IT company looking at these passport kiosks as an emerging business.
Streamline the Patient Sign-in Process and COVID-19 Protocols with Self-Service Kiosks or Tablets
To help combat COVID-19, a self-service patient sign-in kiosk or tablet can streamline new COVID-19 protocols and can even be touchless to keep patients and employees safe. Patient check-in kiosks can automate COVID-19 procedures, sign patients in and offer secure EMV payments, thus reducing exposure and alleviating the extra burden on front desk medical staff.
Increase Security, Health and Safety by Decreasing Staff Interaction
Patient sign-in tablets or kiosks can streamline the check-in process by eliminating and consolidating unnecessary paperwork and allowing for a faster check-in for both the patient and the healthcare staff. Specifically, this can protect against the risk of spreading infection by ascertaining a patient’s exposure to COVID-19 through a questionnaire loaded on the tablet or kiosk. The physical paperwork passed between patients and staff cannot be sanitized, whereas tablets and kiosks can have wipeable surfaces installed.
Protect Patient Information with Secure EMV Payments
Accepting EMV payments is more secure than traditional credit card processing and having the payment accepted on a patient sign-in tablet or kiosk is convenient for both patients and staff. Using software like KioWare Basic, a secure browser lockdown software, makes it easy to install by bridging the gap between the EMV card reader data and the payment processor. KioWare Basic works with both the Windows and Android OS, making it easy to integrate payment processing with whatever application the healthcare practice prefers.
Stop the Spread of Contact Germs: Use KioTouch Software to Make Your Kiosk Touchless
KioTouch allows patients to control a self-service kiosk using their own personal mobile device. The patient scans a QR code, generated on the screen of the kiosk, which then opens a trackpad-style mouse interface on their device that can be used to send commands to the kiosk. Scrolling, swiping, and clicking gestures allow the user to interact with the kiosk as they normally would, but do not require the user to physically touch it. KioTouch works on any kiosk and does not require any special hardware to be installed to run, nor does it require the vendor to install any apps or software on their device.
Analytical Design Solutions, Inc. dba KioWare has been in business since 1991 providing IT consulting to businesses of all sizes is a worldwide market leader in self-service kiosk and purposed device markets. KioWare is kiosk system software that kiosk applications are built on and is used in over 14,000 projects in over 139 countries with project deployments that range from a handful to many thousands of kiosks
Olea Kiosks® Inc., today, announced the addition of its height-adjustable base for the Austin series kiosk. This new addition is available for ordering now.
With more than 2500 units in the field, the Austin kiosk is the most deployed Olea model to date. And this compact and versatile self-service kiosk now has a fourth option. The Austin Height Adjustable (HA), combines the Height Adjustable base with the desktop unit to deliver a slick, compact, and versatile self-service solution.
Aimed at the healthcare check-in market, this unit delivers full Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) height compliance as all of the user touchpoints can be positioned at a height under 48 inches. The unit is equipped with a paddle switch to activate the lift and lowering. The base raises and lowers a total of 11.9 inches to provide users of all heights and abilities with an improved user experience.
Self-service kiosks help to improve profitability while reducing operational costs. And while this self-service solution is simple in nature, the Austin can be configured in multiple ways to deliver check-in thoughtfully.
Note: The unit shown in the video is a prototype and includes only one UV sanitizing bulb.
In addition to patient check-in, there are many optional components that can be added to support identity verification, insurance information collection, as well as co-pay and signature collection. In order to support these features, any of the following components can be added:
Web camera
Receipt size printer
Barcode reader
Magstripe reader
EMV compliant chip devices
RFID/NFC devices
Document scanner
On-screen signature
NavPad ADA 508 device
“The Austin HA comes at a time when healthcare and businesses, in general, are constrained by the lack of human resources available,” said CEO Frank Olea. “Our engineering team worked extra hard to turn this unit around in a record amount of time,” added Olea.
In addition, an optional UV sanitizing system utilizing two powerful Mercury Vapor bulbs is now available with all of the Austin model kiosks. The cleaning cycle allows for sanitization of the touchscreen as well as the payment device. “We’re excited to bring this feature to market as we felt there was a need to keep not only the screens clean but the buttons on the pin-pads as well”, added Olea.
The Austin series kiosk is now available in 4 options: the HA, the Freestanding (FS), the Desktop (DT), and the Wall-mount (WM).
The Austin is also very popular with hospitality and frequently used in quick-serve restaurants (QSR), ticketing, and hotel check-in where this functionality is also a welcome addition.
All company-owned restaurants to offer screen-reader on their kiosks by 2022
In Brief
Mounting new keypads and headphone jacks to the touch-screen kiosks it introduced in 2015.
Blind users can connect their headphones to the system and browse the digital menu using screen-reader technology and tactile arrow buttons, adding items to their basket by pressing a central button.
The technology will be added to all existing kiosks in company-owned restaurants in California, and 25% of existing kiosks in other U.S. states.
McDonald’s operates 5% of 14,000 U.S. restaurants
Long term (july 2022) new kiosks installed in any restaurants will include the accessibility function
Excerpt
The NFB raised its concerns with McDonald’s in 2019. The organizations worked together to create and test the new system, which employs existing technology developed by TPGi, an accessibility software provider and consulting firm owned by Vispero, and Storm Interface, which develops assistive hardware and trades as Keymat Technology Ltd.
The results of the collaboration are arriving as an increasing number of lawsuits over accessibility are being filed. Between January and June of this year, just over 6,300 suits were filed in federal court alleging violations of Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in public spaces and commercial facilities, according to the Chicago-based law firm Seyfarth Shaw LLP. The firm expects the number of those suits to exceed 12,000 this year, which would be the most since it began tracking them in 2013.
Additional Information
Assistive Technology for Self-Service Unattended
Several of our sponsors and members are instrumental in ADA, Accessibility and Assistive Technology.
Highlights Assistive Technology for Kiosks and More
KioWare – built-in JAWS support for ready-made browser functionality. Also noTouch KioTouch
Vispero – The world’s leading assistive technology provider for the visually impaired. Did you know Blindness and Low Vision impact over 282 Million people globally? That number is expected to increase by 72% over the next 11 years.
JAWS Kiosk is focused on delivering accessible kiosk solutions whether it’s through the incorporation of Freedom Scientific’s industry-leading screen reading software, JAWS®, or by utilizing TPG’s accessible design and technical implementation services.JAWS Kiosk Software –
TPGi — a subsidiary of Vispero, TPG Interactive (TPGi) is a world-class accessibility solutions provider with a reputation for excellence. We help clients achieve end-to-end accessibility in their digital assets (websites, software applications, mobile applications, documents, etc.), as well as assist in embedding accessibility into their processes and procedures. Whether you are new to accessibility or mature in your accessibility processes, TPGi can assist your organization.
Storm Interface — Storm Interface develops and manufactures responsive human interface devices for use in a wide range of public and industrial applications. The company’s award-winning products are now globally deployed, internationally recognized and widely acclaimed.
Tech For All Consulting — For over 15 years, TFA’s expert teams have been providing consulting services to its clients to ensure the accessibility and usability of their products, websites, mobile apps, kiosks, and services. Tech for All’s Accessibility Compliance and Universal Design Services — Web, Mobile, and Multiplatform Applications — Kiosk and Self-Service Systems — Training — Planning and Strategy
Dolphin Computer Access — Welcome people who are blind and partially sighted into your business by enabling them to fully engage with your self-service points through SuperNova Accessible Kiosks. SuperNova Accessible Kiosks can deliver a range of support—magnification, speech and full screen-reading—without expensive retrofits. SuperNova differentiates itself from other kiosk accessibility software through crystal clear magnification at any level, unrivaled intuitive touchscreen capabilities, 24 changeable color themes and full screen-reading with human-sounding voices. It’s also fully compatible with Storm AudioNav Keypads and the SuperNova API is customizable for your bespoke kiosk projects.
MimoMonitors — Haptic Touchscreens — The first of its kind, this new 10.1” touchscreen leverages the durability, reliability, and quality of the Mimo Vue display and the groundbreaking technology of TanvasTouch to allow users to feel what they see on screen. The result is a multisensory experience that brings touch to life on a new dimension.
Potential Consequences of Inaction
June 16, 2021 — A proposed class of consumers with mobility disabilities has slapped the owner-operators of 139 Wendys franchise restaurants with a suit in Wisconsin federal court, claiming they violated the Americans with Disabilities Act by denying disabled customers full and equal access to the eateries.
DENVER, Colo., Aug. 18, 2021 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — August news for the Kiosk Association. KMA Kiosk Association is pleased to announce new Co-Chairmen of ADA Committee along with trade show info and vaccine passport kiosk information.
Trade Shows are back
KMA is now an official media partner for InfoComm (AVIXA) and the biggest digital signage AV show in the fall. See a list of exhibitors and information including the highly anticipated Digital Mixer.
CREATE in Denver this October. We have a limited number of free passes to CREATE as well as free invites to the MenuMaster Awards festivities (hundreds of restaurant leaders meet and greet, enjoying free food and drinks at Mile High). As part of CREATE you can view interactive session with Scott Deviney, CEO of Chicken Salad Chick on restaurant growth strategies
Preparations for NRF in NY and NRA in Chicago in progress
KMA also announces new ADA and Accessibility Co-Chairs
Peter Jarvis and Nicky Shaw of Storm Interface are our new Co-Chairpersons
As Co-Chairs, Nicky and Peter intend to expand committee members from within the disabled communities and their representative organizations. They request representation from both hardware and software manufacturers. Invitations will be extended to legal practitioners working in disability rights. It is considered essential that the kiosk industry be recognized by legislators as an important part of the solution and not the cause of the problem. The KMA Accessibility Committee will propose that consultation with representatives from the kiosk and self-service sectors should be an essential part of any new mandating or legislative process.
To request more information contact Craig Keefner, 720-324-1837 or [email protected]
To conclude we have started a rolling post on Vaccination passport kiosks. Both for the US and International (EUDCC). Federal jurisdictions like air travel are first (CLEAR has already implemented). Google released API covering segments such as Kaiser, Zoom, Office365 and many more. Units are beginning to emerge from China and priced at less than $1000 though not yet listed on Alibaba. Both guests and employees are affected with imminent FDA approval and local laws (Key to NYC Pass — they are the new rules for NYC). McDonalds has mandated for all employees.
JusticeDepartment Files Statement of Interest in Lawsuit Regarding Self-Service Kiosks in Health Care Setting
Editors Note: thanks to Nicky for spotting this early and sending it to me. This is interesting on several levels but the main one for us is that the lack of concierge or assistance is detailed. A variant of this for PCI regulations is the two categories unattended and attended with the pseudo category “semi attended” sometimes used. Visit Storm Interface for assistive devices.
Self-Service Legal Actions
Today, the JusticeDepartment filed a Statement of Interest clarifying that Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act requires that public accommodations provide auxiliary aids and services so that individuals with disabilities can fully and equally enjoy all of their services, including services provided through visual and electronic means on self-service kiosks. The Statement of Interest was filed in the Julian Vargas and American Council of the Blind v. Quest Diagnostics Clinical Laboratories, Inc. et al. lawsuit in the Central District of California. Defendants provide health care and diagnostic testing services at over 2,100 patient services centers. Plaintiffs allege that Defendants require patients to use an electronic, self-service kiosk to check in, input personal information, choose where to wait, and perform other tasks. No staff are allegedly present in the check-in area, so patients with vision impairments must ask strangers for assistance or bring companions. The Statement of Interest explains that Title III prohibits public accommodations from denying individuals with disabilities the full and equal enjoyment of their services, including services provided through visual and electronic means, because of the absence of auxiliary aids and services. To find out more about this Statement of Interest or the ADA, visit ada.gov or call the JusticeDepartment‘s toll-free ADA information line at 1-800-514-0301 or 1-800-514-0383 (TDD).
From Evoke Creative — New self-service kiosks installed at Gatwick Airport rail station to improve the customer experience at this busy station.
London, 28 June 2021 – Worldline [Euronext: WLN], the European leader in the payments and transactional services industry Worldline and Evoke Creative have combined their expertise in rail ticketing solutions and kiosk design to create a new self-service kiosk to improve the customer experience and speed up the purchase of tickets for rail customers. This new ticket vending machine will be installed and trialed by Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) at Gatwick Airport as part of the station’s redevelopment plan. For Worldline, it made perfect sense to develop a new self-service kiosk alongside Evoke given their expertise in this area for brands such as McDonald’s, Vue Cinema and JD Sports. For GTR the new, enhanced customer experience and large full-screen interface will support the ambition of the Williams-Shapps Review as part of the rail industries strategy to improve the ticket purchasing experience for customers, aligning with continued digital development across the country.
Worldline operates payment services across the world, have seen first-hand the changes in customer behaviour in recent years. The use of contactless and mobile payments was already increasing year-on-year but the last 15-months has accelerated this change significantly. For the general public, this has meant they are now carrying less cash and are more at ease using card or contactless payments for everyday purchases.
The rail industry is preparing for the most significant change since privatisation over the coming years, the new shape of the industry will be heavily focused on customer experience. Ensuring customers can easily select and purchase the right ticket for their journey is paramount and the kiosks customer interface and purchasing flow significantly simplify the process and improve the experience for customers. This will help GTR to improve their customer experience within the station and help people to pass through as quickly as possible for their onward journey.
When the world changes the best thing to do is change with it, we started this journey with Evoke during lockdown last year with our sole focus being the customer. GTR’s laser focus on the customer made them an ideal partner, through the re-development of Gatwick Airport station, to trial this industry first, customer-focused solution.
James Bain
CEO, Worldline UK & I
The new kiosks will help to speed up the transition of customers within the concourse area. Importantly, accessibility is at the heart of the design, ensuring that the kiosks cater for the varying needs of the huge volumes of customers who use them.
Furthermore, the kiosk, with a total of 64” of screen space, has the capability to provide useful travel information and targeted content to customers – all controlled and updated remotely. With Gatwick Airport being a major gateway to the UK, the opportunity to use this capability for advertising and attractions provides GTR with increased capability to improve the customer experience.
The key to a great customer experience on a kiosk is making the hardware and software blend seamlessly together, such that the whole transaction flows naturally. With this new station kiosk, the customer is seamlessly taken through the process of selecting and then paying for their ticket, meaning they are on their way quickly – having had a great experience. It’s having a great partnership with Worldline that allows us to make this work.
Dean Ward
Co-Founder & CTO, Evoke Creative
Govia Thameslink Railway is the UK’s busiest rail operator, responsible for c.23% of all passenger journeys (Pre-COVID). Continual improvement of the customer experience is a key priority, as the railways get busier over the coming months and ensuring people can travel quickly and easily through the stations is key.
These new self-service ticket vending machines are a demonstration of GTRs commitment to enhance the rail customer experience. The screen customer experience and purchase flow, aligned more with a web experience, is a positive step forward in rail retail innovation.
Las Vegas, NV, September 2021 –Acquire Digital has announced the sponsorship of a digital wayfinding and directory solution for the upcoming Groceryshop tradeshow. Acquire Digital’s industry-leading interactive wayfinding and indoor navigation platform will be used to help the attendees navigate the show, explore events, and find other important show content. The custom mapping software will be available on large format interactive kiosks and within the Groceryshop mobile application and website.
Acquire is focused on providing in-store navigation for consumers in an effort to help them find their favorite products in a more efficient manner. Given this, the company saw this sponsorship as a great way to show off the technology tailored towards a tradeshow environment in front of the grocer market.
“We are very excited to bring innovative wayfinding technology to augment the overall Groceryshop experience,” said Ryan Hopkins, VP of Video and New Media at Shoptalk & Groceryshop. “It is an excellent opportunity for us to showcase custom tradeshow mapping in a similar fashion to how a consumer would utilize in-store grocery navigation solutions.”
In-Store Wayfinder Kiosks
The in-store Wayfinder kiosks are being installed in the Groceryshop exhibit hall area as well as in other strategic locations throughout the show. Attendees will also be able to use the wayfinding application within the Groceryshop mobile app to utilize the experience on the go. The application features a 3D floorplan layout of the Mandalay Bay event hall, which includes all event rooms and key connector walkways. Additionally, attendees will be able to find event schedules and key sponsors throughout the show.
While this sponsorship is focused on building an application tailored towards a tradeshow environment, the Acquire Digital team sees many benefits for utilizing custom wayfinding and navigational solutions within many retail markets.
“Our in-store navigation platform is built with retail in mind. We know that in order to be successful in today’s hypercompetitive environment, retailers need the right solution in place to help shoppers navigate their retail floors and find products quickly. The wayfinding kiosks provide a real world experience for a tradeshow, but can easily be tailored for any environment,” says Neil Farr, CEO for Acquire Digital.
Electronic Shelf Labels With Dynamic Pricing
With the increasing shift in the way in which retailers are utilizing digital in-store signage, Acquire Digital has been able to help grocers provide customers with digital solutions in an effort to increase their bottom line. In addition to in-store wayfinding, Acquire offers a range of solutions tailored towards grocery stores, including its ShelfEdge digital pricing software and endless aisle interactive experiences.
The first day of Groceryshop is set to begin on September 19th at the Mandalay Bay Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada, and will run through the 22nd.
About GroceryShop: Groceryshop brings together leaders from the entire grocery ecosystem, including established and startup CPG brands, supermarkets, c-stores, drug stores, general merchandise stores, discount stores, ecommerce players, warehouse clubs, grocerants and non-traditional grocery retailers. These organizations join tech companies, real estate operators, investors, media and analysts for four days of incredible content, facilitated meetings and fun. In December of 2019, Groceryshop was acquired by Hyve Group PLC is a next-generation global events business whose purpose is to bring together and connect entire sector ecosystems from all corners of the globe.
About Acquire Digital: Acquire Digital is a global leader in innovative digital signage software and interactive experiences. With over 22 years of experience in the visual solutions and digital signage markets, the company is known for its industry firsts. Its passion for reaching beyond the boundaries of digital signage has played a key role in shaping Acquire Digital into the globally recognized company it is today. The company produces world-class UX and UI solutions that create an interactive and immersive experience.
Troy Engelland
Strategic Sales Manager (North America)
(+1) 248-214-8431
A 3D floor plan layout showcases various booths for companies like AutoStore, Shipt, and CHiTEC. The booths, with a wayfinding kiosk nearby, vary in size on a light blue background adorned with orange and black elements at the bottom.
Event display page featuring a wayfinding kiosk and a list of sponsors such as CRITEO, Inmar Intelligence, Shipt, Takeoff, and AutoStore. Navigate with ease using the digital banner and map button. Date and time are set for September 13, 2021, at 7:13 PM.
Explore the convention centers floor plan, with booths labeled by company names. A digital information board and a wayfinding kiosk are at the top left. Navigation icons grace the right side. The time is 7:13 PM on September 13, 2021.
Editors Note: We’ve used, installed, deployed and managed 100s of KioWare deployments over the years and we recommend. Major clients such the SSA picked KioWare for a good reason. Generally many companies will attempt to use in-house resources to do the application. If there are usability, accessibility, security, PCI or god forbid, actual transactional devices, the inhouse benefits greatly from having a readymade platform on which to build their application. It’s like getting device drivers in Windows and not having to write them, except these drivers are for your browser.
In Brief
Lite is $70/license and Basic is $135
Blocking pop-up and all table, domain & page list, file downloads, dialog
Full browser and OS lockdown
Data management – clear all types of data, user sessions, automatic logoff, attract screens
Accessibility include Nav-Pad Storm device support, screen magnification and JAWS Software for screen reader
Here is comparison which also lists accessibility options per version (Android, Windows, Chrome, etc). JAWS software or JAWS screen reader capability along with Storm device support — https://www.sitekiosk.com/comparison.aspx
YORK, Pa. — A new version update of KioWare for Windows has been released. Version 8.29 for Windows is now available with many improvements that work toward the company’s goal of constantly improving user experience.
E-Seek M500 ID Scanner & Digital Persona Fingerprint Scanner
KioWare for Windows now supports the E-Seek M500 ID Scanner. You can learn more about this device and its functionality by clicking here. KioWare for Windows also supports the DigitalPersona Fingerprint Scanner.
Rotate Option to Chrome Logs
The latest version of KioWare for Windows can now be configured to keep old Chrome log files to be referenced at a later date when launching KioWare. In the past, these log files were truncated after launching KioWare and not easily accessible if they required referencing in the future.
Improvements to Cookie Processing
KioWare for Windows 8.29 has improved the cookie-handling process. Cookies collected by a user during a kiosk session and cleanup of those cookies at the end of the session is now more efficient.
Tab Accessibility Function for Toolbars
A new accessibility feature for accessing toolbars within KioWare has been added. Kiosk deployers are now able to “tab” between toolbars within KioWare, making it easier to interface via keyboard.
Other Bug Fixes and Minor Updates
Implemented bug fixes and other minor updates, including an update to Chrome 91/CEF 4472 and improvements to Shift4 integration.
Analytical Design Solutions, Inc. dba KioWare has been in business since 1991 providing IT consulting to businesses of all sizes, is located in York, Pennsylvania, and is a worldwide market leader in self-service kiosk and purposed device markets. KioWare is kiosk system software that kiosk applications are built on and is used in over 14,000 projects in over 130 countries with project deployments that range from a handful to many thousands of kiosks.
Frank Mayer and Associates, Inc. and GRUBBRR team with The Chicken Shack on a self-service kiosk solution program for the restaurant chain’s multiple locations.
In Brief
22 Locations (west of Mississippi)
Line busting the cash register lines major benefit
Increased ticket averages per customer
Insight
Frank Mayer has been expanding its unattended portfolio for restaurant kiosks and Grubbr. They also have Smart Pickup, Curbside and Smart Locker products with Grubbr. The Grubbr application solution makes for a complete solution (not just a kiosk anymore). Apparently the Fast Casual kiosk market is working for Frank Mayer and Associates, Inc. (and Grubbr)
Press Release
GRAFTON, WI – The Chicken Shack, a fast casual restaurant chain with 22 locations across Nevada, California, Colorado, Oregon, and Washington, partnered with kiosk designer and manufacturer Frank Mayer and Associates, Inc. and software provider GRUBBRR to produce self-service kiosks for their restaurants.
The stores’ kiosks are Frank Mayer and Associates, Inc.’s 32” free-standing model running GRUBBRR’s software technology. And because the kiosk and software integrate with the rest of the restaurant’s ecosystem, it’s easy to track and run reports for the various ordering options.
“The kiosks have increased ticket averages, helped with labor by effectively acting as another cashier, and rewarded customers,” Nicholas Vitt, Marketing Director at The Chicken Shack, says.
“We’re happy The Chicken Shack has had success using self-service technology,” Frank Mayer and Associates, Inc. President Mike Mayer adds. “Combining GRUBBRR’s integrated software program with Frank Mayer and Associates’ kiosks has proven to be a successful partnership that equates to success for restaurants.”
For more information about QSR and fast casual kiosks, visit www.olea.com/industries/restaurant-self-order-kiosks/ or contact [email protected].
The Chicken Shack is a fast-growing quick casual counter service restaurant specializing in fresh chicken fingers and wings. The restaurant is committed to a family business approach, defined processes, and the highest quality product and service. With over 15 years in business, the restaurant chain has now grown into five states. For more information, visit www.mychickenshack.com.
Frank Mayer and Associates, Inc. is a leader in the development of interactive kiosks, in-store merchandising displays, and store fixtures for businesses nationwide. The company helps companies, retailers, and brands utilize the latest solutions and technologies to create engaging customer experiences. Visit www.olea.com for more information.
Headquartered in Boca Raton, FL, GRUBBRR is a leading financial technology company focused on automating commerce with its award-winning line of self-ordering products, including kiosks, mobile ordering, contactless smart lockers, and more. The technology has had proven success with helping businesses maximize revenue, decrease labor costs, and increase operational efficiency. To learn more about GRUBBRR and its products, visit https://grubbrr.com/.
***
CONTACT:Cheryl Lesniak, Director of Marketing Frank Mayer and Associates, Inc., 1975 Wisconsin Ave., Grafton, WI 53024 (262) 834-1489 | [email protected]
YORK, Pa. –Elatec, Inc. and KioWare Kiosk System Software have announced they are entering an OEM partnership with the aim of developing products and solutions that are easily paired together. KioWare has added the Elatec TWN4 family of RFID card and NFC and BLE mobile credential readers to its list of supported devices which makes it easy for kiosk deployers to add RFID functionality.
bluetooth kiosk & nfc kiosk & rfid kiosk
Bluetooth NFC Kiosk Device Supplier
Elatec is the leading global provider of solutions related to short-range wireless readers and writers. Offering high-performance multi- and single-frequency RFID devices, both with and without housing, Elatec provides a vast selection of solutions and configurations to accommodate the needs of its customer’s specialized projects. Devices like the TWN4 Slim and TWN4 MultiTech 2 BLE offer an external reader with its own dedicated housing that is integrated into a purposed device in just a few steps, while devices like the TWN4 MultiTech 3 BLE and TWN4 Palon Compact Panel require installation into the purposed device, but are more compact and fit directly into your existing hardware.
KioWare offers a wide range of kiosk lockdown and management software solutions for Android, Windows, and Chrome OS devices. Self-service kiosks and purposed devices built on KioWare can utilize features such as restricted browser access; keyboard filtering; pop-up window control; remote content updating; APIs for 3rd party add-ons; and more. KioWare also offers software solutions ranging from the touchless interface for end-users in KioTouch to video conferencing options in KioCall and the powerful kiosk network management tools in KioCloud and KioWare Server.
Effective August 2021, Elatec and KioWare are looking to develop products and solutions that are easily paired together for the benefit of their clients and their end-users. Click here to learn more about Elatec RFID Systems. To learn more about partnering with KioWare please e-mail us at [email protected].
Analytical Design Solutions, Inc. dba KioWare has been in business since 1991 providing IT consulting to businesses of all sizes, is located in York, Pennsylvania, and is a worldwide market leader in the self-service kiosks and purposed device markets. KioWare is kiosk system software that kiosk applications are built on and is used in over 14,000 projects in over 130 countries with project deployments that range from a handful to many thousands of kiosks.
Legal decisions related to self-service, ADA, biometrics, privacy, Braille and more are essential. HIPAA fines can be substantial for example. Recently Europe has issued a fine to TikTok for over $550 million. Companies generally put the bottom line first so enforcement is key motivator for them. Amazon might have to think twice before making an buy offer for TikTok for example.
Legal actions can also be HIPAA violations of privacy data and also web accessibility (WCAG usually), which have financial and legal consequences. “Fear of” comes in several variations from FOBS (fear of being sued) to FOMO (fear of missing out). If you have news of note, send us an email at [email protected]
Notable Legal Decisions and Related In Brief:
April 2025
Second Circuit Decision in Tudor v. Whitehall Central School District (March 25, 2025) — The Second Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that employees with disabilities may be entitled to reasonable accommodations under the ADA even if they can perform their jobs’ essential functions without them. This decision broadened the interpretation of the ADA’s accommodation requirements, emphasizing that such accommodations are not limited to enabling job performance but also support employee well-being and inclusion.
Federal Court Ruling on Texas Senate Bill 1 (S.B. 1) (March 20, 2025) — A federal court struck down provisions of Texas S.B. 1, finding them in violation of the ADA and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. The law was deemed to impose significant barriers to voting for people with disabilities. We recommend blog by William Goren on this case. Seems law firms and media are “playing up” this decision and assigning too much relevance.
GDPR — TikTok owner ByteDance Ltd. is set to be hit by a privacy fine of more than €500 million ($552 million) for illegally shipping European users’ data to China, adding to the growing global backlash over the video-sharing app. Ireland’s data protection commission, the company’s main regulator in Europe, will issue the penalty against TikTok before the end of the month, according to people familiar with the matter. The move comes after a lengthy investigation found the Chinese business fell foul of the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation in sending the information to China to be accessed by engineers, added the people, who spoke under condition of anonymity. The penalty is likely to be the third highest ever penalty under the GDPR following earlier fines of €1.2 billion against Facebook owner Meta Platforms Inc. and €746 million against Amazon.com Inc., the people added. The exact size of TikTok’s fine and the timing of the decision isn’t final and could still change, they said. Meanwhile in the USA, the deadline looms for a total TikTok ban unless it transfers its ownership out of China where the CCP has unlimited access to users’ data.
It seems the word “accessibility” is closely associated with the acronym DEI and anything to do with DEI is subject to immediate elimination by the current administration.
November 2024
Biometric lawsuit regarding shoplifting cameras moving ahead against Target. According to the lawsuit, Target uses surveillance cameras with facial recognition technology to monitor shoplifting. The plaintiffs claim that Target failed to inform customers in writing or obtain their consent before collecting biometric data. They also allege that Target did not disclose how the data is used, how long it is stored, or whether it is shared with third parties.
September 2024
Payments — DOJ Sues Visa – Wall Street Journal — Justice Department Sues Visa, Alleges Illegal Monopoly in Debit-Card Payments
Largest card network in U.S. blocked rivals through payments and higher fees levied on merchants, government says
Uber and Lyft Drivers Refusing Service Dogs — despite losing the verdict in a class action suit and promising to make good, the situation has only grown worse, according to reports. Now the DOJ is involved again.
June 2024
Kroger settles for 11 million in biometrics suit. Defendant has agreed to create a Settlement Fund for the Class Members in the amount of $11,782,800.00. Link to settlement
Accessibe is being sued for false promises. A high profile accessibility widget company made a lot of claims. Apparently someone is calling them out on not delivering what they promised. Key here is that this is a breach of contract sounding claim at heart. Essentially, the claim is that the buyer didn’t get what was promised or represented to them. Accordingly, it doesn’t matter that WCAG is not enshrined in law, though it sort of is for title II entities. The proposed class could include title II entities. See page 21 of complaint.
Dot up for another innovation award this time at SXSW. Tactile Pad for braille uses modern tech from Texas Instruments. Braille Innovation Awards SXSW – Braille Dot Pad
California Bitcoin Machines — Effective January 1, 2024, Senate Bill 401 (Chapter 871, Statutes of 2023), (“SB 401” which, alongside AB 39, constitutes the “Digital Financial Assets Law”) requires a digital financial asset transaction kiosk operator (“kiosk operator”) to provide the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (“Department”) with a list of all locations of kiosks that the operator owns, operates, or manages in California.
Federal Register News — Introduction to the Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions. Additionally, the Department has issued a proposed rule addressing discrimination on the basis of disability in health and human services programs or activities. This rule would revise regulations under section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 to address unlawful discrimination on the basis of disability in HHS-funded health and human services programs. The proposed rule includes new requirements prohibiting discrimination in the areas of medical treatment; the use of value assessments; web, mobile, and kiosk accessibility; and requirements for accessible medical equipment, so that persons with disabilities have an opportunity to participate in or benefit from health care programs and activities that is equal to the opportunity afforded others.
ADA Supreme Court Amicus 1691684914749 Read the important amicus brief my colleagues and I filed with the Supreme Court yesterday in support of testing in #ADA cases. Testing is a long recognized and important tool in the enforcement of anti-discrimination laws! We also take time to debunk some harmful myths about ADA enforcement spread by the business community. My co-authors include Karla Gilbride, Amy F. Robertson, Thomas Zito and Justin Ormand.
July
Lowes self-checkout and cash back on debit card back in litigation
Voice recognition — GeoSymm Ventures LLC—an entity connected with a figure familiar in patent monetization circles—has initiated its first litigation over a portfolio of patents that the plaintiff received from Allied Security Trust (AST) in early June. In separate Eastern District of Texas complaints, GeoSymm accuses IBM (2:23-cv-00325) and Samsung (2:23-cv-00324) of infringing a single patent generally related to responding to a user request using “semantic web services” through the provision of their respective voice assistant platforms. At issue are features related to natural language processing and voice commands. In a third complaint, filed against PTC (6:23-cv-00493) in the Western District of Texas, the plaintiff asserts three patents generally related to using “digitally encoded markers” to position an overlay image in an augmented reality (AR) interface. The defendant is targeted over its mobile app, with features for positioning objects in an AR space at issue.
June 2023
Biometrics BIPA – $425K PetSmart BIPA Deal Receives Illinois Judge’s Initial OK — workers say they were required to use a voice-tracking headset without first providing informed consent.
Supreme Court to hear ADA case –Lawyers claimed that Laufer had filed over 600 lawsuits since 2018 targeting small hotels and bed and breakfasts and that the cost of litigating a case might put defendants into bankruptcy. “A cottage industry has arisen in which uninjured plaintiffs lob ADA lawsuits of questionable merit while using the threat of attorney’s fees to extract settlement payments,” Acheson’s lawyers said.
Apr 2023
Biometrics and Illinois – Christian Dior’s virtual “try on” glasses wins in Illinois under BIPA and facial recognition. Link
ADA Tester of Hotels SCOTUS to rule on — In the court papers, Acheson’s lawyers claimed that Laufer had filed over 600 lawsuits since 2018 targeting small hotels and bed and breakfasts and that the cost of litigating a case might put defendants into bankruptcy. “A cottage industry has arisen in which uninjured plaintiffs lob ADA lawsuits of questionable merit while using the threat of attorney’s fees to extract settlement payments,” Acheson’s lawyers said.
Mar 2023
US Supreme Court Backs Deaf Student — The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday allowed a deaf student in Michigan to sue his public school district for allegedly failing to provide him adequate classroom instruction, a ruling that bolsters the ability of students with disabilities to remedy shortcomings in their education. From Willian Goren —
CVS and Dalton –– CVS class action claims blind, low-vision customers cannot independently use HealthHub kiosks. CVS Health Corporation failed to make its CVS HealthHub self-service kiosks independently usable for individuals who are blind or visually impaired, a new class action lawsuit alleges. Dalton vs. CVS Lawsuit Brief — Here are some pictures of Healthhub kiosks which are basically cheap mounted tablets. LINK
Biometrics and Maryland — link on Biometric Update – State of Maryland legislators are debating five bills (four cross-filed and one separate) addressing biometric and other private data collected by private organizations as part of doing business. Members of the Computer & Communications Industry Association issued a statement saying any legislation needs to be narrowly written to protect “high-risk practices,” although without spelling out what that means.
Employees, Biometrics & Fingerprints — White Castle facing a fine of $17B for violating privacy of employees with fingerprint scanner. On February 17, 2023, the Illinois Supreme Court held that each scan or transmission of a person’s biometric identifiers is a separate violation of Illinois’ Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA). In Cothron v. White Castle System, Inc., 2023 IL 128004, the plaintiff was an employee at a White Castle restaurant. She alleged that White Castle, without obtaining the statutorily mandated consent, required her to scan her fingerprint multiple times each day to access company systems. The plaintiff argued that each scan since BIPA’s enactment in 2008 was a separate violation. White Castle argued that if any violation occurred, it was a single violation in 2008, when it first collected her fingerprints without obtaining proper consent. Thereafter, White Castle argued, each new scan was not a new “collection” of her fingerprints. By a 4-3 majority, the court agreed with the plaintiff that each scan was a separate violation. National Law Review, White Castle could face multibillion-dollar judgment in Illinois privacy lawsuit,
Nearly 2,000 lawsuits alleging violations of BIPA have been filed since 2017, yielding a series of massive settlements and judgments. Amazon, Facebook and others.
January 2023
Voice Recognition — Whole Foods Reaches $300k BIPA Settlement Over Voice Recognition Lawsuit — Whole Foods has reached a $297,000 settlement in a lawsuit filed under Illinois’s Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA). The lawsuit alleged that Whole Foods enrolled distribution center workers in a voice recognition system without properly obtaining consent and providing the necessary disclosures as required under BIPA. The settlement, which has received early approval from a state court judge, would see $545 paid out to each of the class action’s 330 workers.
A McDonald’s franchisee that fired an autistic employee who worked at several of the burger chain’s restaurants for 37 years has settled a civil rights suit in New Jersey federal court ($100K via Law360)
Opinion on NFB and Walmart (and Dalton) regarding supermarket checkout, perfect equality. Excerpt – The NFB decision illustrates one way to approach this problem. In NFB the Court decided that because there are no regulations for POS devices other than ATM’s public accommodations are not required to provide accessible POS devices. There is still an obligation to provide the auxiliary aids and services necessary for individuals with a disability to use the devices, but that can include human assistance because human assistance is a specifically recognized type of auxiliary aid and service.(8) Walmart and NFB ADA Title III and Point of Sale Devices – technology, regulation and changing expectations
November 2022
Fedex Settles In California – The terms of the preliminary settlement, agreed to in September, include FedEx paying $900,000 in attorneys’ fees and $20,000 to Kouri for a release of his individual claims. Over the course of the next four years, FedEx must also engage with an ADA consultant, train its drop box team in ADA compliance measures, survey each of its roughly 34,000 drop boxes, remove any access barriers and ensure that new drop boxes adhere to 2010 ADA standards.
ADA Settlement with Cinemark USA, Inc. Improves Accessibility of Enfield Movie Theaters – requires Cinemark to add ADA-compliant signage at exits and auditoriums, provide an accessible dining surface in the concession area, and acquire more receivers to use with its assistive listening system. The settlement also requires Cinemark to make numerous changes in the bathrooms, such as moving grab bars, removing a step up at a threshold, and making a bathroom door easier to open.
Accessible Website California Ruling — The case for this week is Martinez v. Cot’n Wash, a published decision from the Second Appellate District of the Court of Appeals of the State of California. The case involves an Internet only business that got sued by a person with a screen reader for an inaccessible website. Before bringing suit, plaintiff sent a demand letter. Notably, defense responded with their belief that the Internet site complied with the applicable WCAG level AA and asked for clarification from the plaintiff. Plaintiff then sues anyway. The Court of Appeals holds that the gateway principal rules in California and without a gateway the plaintiff has no case.
DOJ says NPRM on web accessibility will be issued in April 2023 — link
ADA Judgement News – Uber Commits to Changes and Pays Millions (actually $1.78)
Goren Blog on Airline Passengers Bill of Rights — link
DOJ Goes All in on ADA is a Nondelegable Duty — In the Statement of Interest, the DOJ goes all in on the ADA being a nondelegable duty. That the ADA is a nondelegable duty should not surprise readers of this blog because we previously discussed that here, and I return to the concept frequently.
May 2022
Telemedicine Lawsuits — Howard Industries is being sued by Capsa for patent infringement on its series of telemedicine carts. Seven different patents in play. Howard Industries Patent Suit
EV Systems Not Working — Of the 657 open public DCFC CCS EVSEs evaluated in this study, 72.5% were functional at the time of testing while 27.5% were either not functional or the cable was too short to reach the EV inlet. Effective compliance measures are needed for EV charging stations that are part of a court settlement or paid for with public funds.
The Justice Department today announced that it has entered into a settlement agreement with the Holiday Inn Express Hotels & Suites in Columbus, Ohio, owned by Badrivishal, LLC, Inc., that will provide access for customers at the hotel with disabilities, including those who use wheelchairs. The agreement requires the hotel to remove barriers to accessibility by making physical modifications so that parking, entrances, public restrooms, the front desk, drinking fountains, and routes within the hotel are accessible. The hotel will also ensure that the rooms, including bathrooms, that are required and advertised as accessible to people who use wheelchairs are accessible. The hotel will also pay $20,000 in damages to the couple harmed by the discrimination.
Class Action on Choice Hotels — plaintiff says Choice Hotels does not make its website accessible to the blind, violating the Americans With Disabilities Act.
How Will ADA Guidelines Impact Public Electric Vehicle Charging Stations? — The ADA does not currently include specific guidelines for EVCSs, but they will still need to be accessible. Some variation of the ADA standards, such as those for parking, operable parts, and kiosks will likely apply to charging stations.
From Hospitality Net related — The ADA does not currently include specific guidelines for EVCSs, but they will still need to be accessible. Some variation of the ADA standards, such as those for parking, operable parts, and kiosks will likely apply to charging stations.
April 2022
Seven questions to determine lawsuit probability via BIPA (Illinois) — Biometrics – Questions to Ask BIPA FindBiometrics-Identity-School-BIPA-Checklist
Winn-Dixie Loses — On March 2, 2022, the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals denied Winn-Dixie’s request that the full panel of judges reconsider a single Eleventh Circuit judge’s order dismissing the appeal and district court proceeding as moot. This ends what had been an over-six year saga in one of the most-watched website accessibility cases in the country. Here’s your Cliffs Notes version of this drama:
American Foundation for the Blind Calls Out the DOJ — The American Foundation for the Blind (AFB), along with our colleagues at the American Council of the Blind (ACB), the National Federation of the Blind (NFB), and the National Disability Rights Network (NDRN), urges the Department of Justice to finalize a rule on web and application accessibility before the end of the current administration.
New FAQ article from web developer group on WordPress accessibility from a web developer point of view and in their language. What about Accessible-rated themes and what are the characteristics to ensure (specifically).
ADA lawsuit filings at all-time high — here is the blog post analysis — Excerpt – plaintiff’s lawyers also filed hundreds of lawsuits on a new theory that hotels violated the ADA by failing to disclose sufficient information about their accessible rooms on reservations websites, the Seyfarth attorneys said. Also, cases alleging physical access barriers in facilities such as shopping centers, restaurants and hotels kept on coming – even in 2020-21 when indoor activities were often shut-down.
February 2022
DOJ and WCAG — The Justice Department today announced that it has secured a settlement agreement with Meijer, Inc., that will help people with disabilities get information about COVID-19 vaccinations and book their vaccination appointments online. The agreement, which requires Meijer to conform its COVID-19 vaccine content to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines Version 2.1, will help ensure that individuals with disabilities who use screen readers and those who have difficulty using a mouse can privately and independently book their potentially life-saving vaccination appointments online. Today’s resolution is the department’s fourth agreement on the critical issue of COVID-19 vaccination website accessibility, following a November 2021 settlement with Rite Aid Corporation; a December 2021 settlement with Hy-Vee, Inc.; and a January 2022 settlement with The Kroger Co.
DOJ — The Justice Department announced that it has secured a settlement agreement with The Kroger Co. to help people with disabilities get information about COVID-19 vaccinations and book their vaccination appointments online. The agreement, which requires Kroger to conform its COVID-19 vaccine content to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines Version 2.1, will help ensure that individuals with disabilities who use screen readers can privately and independently book their potentially life-saving vaccination appointments online. Today’s resolution is the department’s third agreement on the critical issue of COVID-19 vaccination website accessibility, following a November 2021 announcement of its settlement with Rite Aid Corporation and a December 2021 settlement with Hy-Vee, Inc.
The Justice Department entered into a settlement agreement with the Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District (MTD) to resolve an investigation conducted under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Under the agreement, the MTD must conform its website – www.mtd.org – and mobile applications to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), Version 2.1, Level AA. Additionally, the MTD must invest a minimum of $100,000 to improve its services for passengers with disabilities. For more information on the ADA or this settlement agreement, please visit ADA.gov
Comments: Read the complaint. Interesting that the only two plaintiffs mentioned were people with foldable chairs. There are lots of mobility-impaired people who don’t use chairs that would have trouble with the two minute rule. I wonder if the blind or visually impaired would have trouble as well.
Comments: NPR article says as of last week, Uber is waiving the wait fee for anyone certifying, whatever that means, that they have a disability.
Law Review: $125M judgment against Walmart in disability discrimination case – Sierra Sun
Kaiser Health Organization, EEOC Reach $130K Settlement in Americans With Disabilities Act Case, paywalled — link
ADA considerations for inquiring about COVID vaccination status while you are interviewing potential new employees — JDsupra – 10/11/2021 — Here is another look at asking applicants — Link
Facial recognition litigation — Cedar Lane has now sued over 140 defendants and asserted nearly 50 patents (each received either directly or indirectly from Intellectual Ventures LLC (IV)).
Companies win a couple of rounds on web accessibility — Intent to sue versus intent to use
Kiosk ADA — Quest Diagnostic Check-In Kiosks Under DOJ Scrutiny — Plaintiffs allege that Defendants require patients to use an electronic, self-service kiosk to check in, input personal information, choose where to wait, and perform other tasks. No staff are allegedly present in the check-in area, so patients with vision impairments must ask strangers for assistance or bring companions.
Broadening Right of Blind To Sue — A federal appeals court ruled Tuesday that two blind students have the right to use disparate impact theory — which requires plaintiffs only to show that a policy has a disparate impact on them, not that it was intentional — in a lawsuit against the Los Angeles Community College District. If the ruling is upheld, a lawyer for the National Federation of the Blind, which joined the case, said it would be much easier to win discrimination cases based on disability.
Unethical ADA conduct – Uncaptioned videos at gas pumps — Lack of Sincerity
Mental health disability – The Justice Department entered into a settlement agreement with Brown University to resolve an investigation conducted under Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Outdoor EMV Liability Shift Increasing — A CMSPI analysis found that chargebacks have tripled since January 2021. “If you look at January as the baseline month, May is almost triple of what January was in terms of overall chargebacks. There was a pretty substantial increase of about 50 percent in April, and that really ballooned in May,” Pynn said, explaining that chargebacks are often delayed because it takes some time for the consumer to realize the fraud and file a report. “The feedback loop takes some time.”
The California attorney general’s office started enforcing the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) on July 1, 2020. Does your app or website collect data?
ADA Lawsuits on track for 4000 in 2021. E-Commerce top of the list. Small companies now being sued more often. Widgets/overlays no protection provided.
Apparently, we now have a fully functioning DOJ or Department of Justice. Enforcing laws appears to be coming back into vogue. We know of many cases the DOJ has “expressed interest”, unlike the former. The prosecution probability index (PPI) has definitely risen in the last 3 months.
The big mysteries at this point is how a large number of franchisees ALL violate ADA. We can understand this ones or that ones but 139? And then, given 50 states why would McDonald’s choose to trial biometrics in the one state that has extensive laws surrounding it. Sometimes “bad law” can be created by bringing suit in an unsympathetic district court. Winn-Dixie is prime example of that.
One other trend that is noteworthy revolves around videos and specifically audio embedded. This can be actual audio track or it could be a narration. Multiple languages. Media from Amazon, Netflix, Disney come into play. Any description of services with visuals.
Samsung #1 in patent litigation (defendant). 4,282. Seesidebar image
Samsung – Click for full size
June 2021
Supreme Court upholds ACA — this impacts all types of healthcare technology — In the decision, the court reversed a lower court ruling finding the individual mandate unconstitutional. However, the court did not get to the key question of whether the individual mandate is severable from the rest of the law. Instead, the court held the plaintiffs do not have standing in the case, or a legal right to bring the suit.
Wendys faces ADA class action — from Law360 — A proposed class of consumers with mobility disabilities has slapped the owner-operators of 139 Wendys franchise restaurants with a suit in Wisconsin federal court, claiming they violated the Americans with Disabilities Act by denying disabled customers full and equal access to the eateries.
CVS Exposed 1 Billion user data records — 204GB — the data exposed online included customer email addresses, user IDs and customer searches on CVS Pharmacy websites for COVID-19 vaccines and other medications, according to the report.
McDonalds Being Sued in Illinois for obtaining and storing biometric data from drive-thru customers. Voice captured then run thru AI engine.
April 2021
Winn Dixie Website Accessibility — Court rules grocery store’s inaccessible website isn’t an ADA violation — The Winn-Dixie website isn’t accessible for blind users with screen readers. The two-judge majority placed a lot of weight on the fact that the ADA only applies to physical spaces. In their view, a website is not a public accommodation as the ADA defines the concept. More info
Voice Kiosk technology for private, secure voice recognition interaction in kiosks and digital signage
Click for full size – Voice Kiosk LG
Tel Aviv, Israel:Kardome today announced it has contracted with LG Uplus to install its Voice Activation Software in the mobile service provider’s store kiosks. Kardome is excited to partner with LG Uplus to provide its customers with secure voice interaction in its kiosk digital assistants.
Kardome will install its voice activation technology in 2,000 LG Uplus store kiosks throughout South Korea by the end of the year. LG Uplus is one of South Korea’s largest mobile service providers.
“We are proud to see our voice activation technology employed in LG Uplus kiosks,” says Dani Cherkassky, Kardome CEO and cofounder. “Our voice user interface software will give the company’s customers private, secure voice interactions in any environment.”
Kardome’s voice user interface (VUI) technology provides a personalized digital experience using parametric or directional loudspeakers. The speakers transmit the digital voice assistant’s responses only to the relevant customer standing before the kiosk.
The location-based source separation technology enables this secure and private voice interaction, capturing only the relevant customer’s speech, regardless of background noise or passerby.
Click for full size voice kiosk
About Kardome: Kardome is an Israeli-based voice technology startup. The company’s innovative location-based, noise-reduction VUI technology gives clear, real-time voice command input and audio output in any environment. Kardome’s goal is to solve end-user frustrations with speech recognition and voice command devices.
About LG Uplus: LG Uplus Corp is a South Korean telecommunications and Mobile phone service provider controlled by the LG Group, one of the country’s largest family-owned business conglomerates.
UCP has joined the Retail Solution Providers Association
UCP be attending the RetailNOW show this July in Nashville. If you would like to meet at the show and discuss the future of payments in the self-service space send me a message.
Unattended Card Payments is a Vegas-based P2PE Validated Key Injection Facility and value-added-reseller. UCP specializes in assisting kiosk manufacturers, and self-service solution providers, with the consulting and support that is vital to the successful deployment of unattended payment terminals. UCP also carries attended and mobile devices from leading manufacturers.Why did you join RSPA? To increase our visibility as a consultant and hardware value-added-reseller of unattended payment technologies to retailers, restaurants, hotels, and any other company looking to expand their current offering to include self-service.What are the core values of your company?
We pride ourselves on having a holistic understanding of the players in the unattended payment space and offering unbiased information on which payment solution provider’s overall offering aligns most with our client’s operational and strategic objectives. It is important to us that our clients feel educated about all their options and ultimately decide what is best for them. Our top-notch presales approach is augmented by our post-sale commitment to superior customer service.What verticals do you serve?
Retail, Hospitality, Restaurant, Leisure, Entertainment, Bill Pay, Transportation, Parking, and more! You can find self-service kiosks everywhere these days!
What products/services do you provide?
Cashless payment solutions consulting, payment software, and payment hardware.
Name one fun fact that makes your company different from others.
We are a tight-knit family-run organization. You’ll see a lot of the same surnames amongst senior leadership. Just about every employee is someone else’s spouse, sibling, previous co-worker, or friend from college.
What is the most encouraging thing you see for the future of the retail IT industry? The adoption of self-service technologies on a vast scale of course!
The best point of contact is David Chilcoat, Business Development Manager.
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (702) 802-3504
Self-Service Fast Food Order Kiosks Transforming Customer Experience
Self-Service Fast Food Kiosks — Congrats McDonalds: Today Grand Opening NYC Times Square wonderful McDonalds restaurant and 18 polytouch 32“ kiosks are ready to take orders. In close neighborhood, at AMC Theatre Times Square there are 16 polytouch 24“ units, selling cinema tickets since 2 years. Design, performance and reliability makes the difference.
The same principles for self-order kiosks and increasing sales in fast-food restaurants work across market verticals. At an airline kiosk, a simple upsell to get better seating usually works for example. In hospitality its much easier to click off on extra services at check-in.
This is a nice article writeup by the Mashed writer.
Machines automatically upsell — counter people do not
Kiosks positively impact customer mood
Touch screens create “experiential and effective feelings” in customers
Excerpt:
As they become more efficient and user-friendly, self-serve kiosks are transforming the fast-food customer experience. Many of us have seen this firsthand. After all, who hasn’t taken some secret pleasure in flicking through a digital menu? However, as FoodTec discussed in a 2018 article, self-serve technology is not only making fast food service more efficient, but also subtly changing customer behavior. Namely, it is encouraging people to spend more.
The numbers speak for themselves. FoodTec has suggested that self-serve kiosks increase customer spending, on average, by 20%, and this figure is borne out by data presented in a 2015 Harvard Business Review article. According to the review, major chains, including Taco Bell, McDonald’s, and Chilis have all reported self-serve kiosks generating larger sales than in-person ordering, usually by a margin of 20%. In one instance, McDonald’s even saw sales increase by as much as 30%. Self-serve kiosks aren’t just good for business — they’re great for business.
Noted on Retail Automation — Maybe “new” isn’t the most accurate word. More like emerged from Pandemic hiatus. Interesting that original iteration from Samsung and then offloaded.
Editors Note: First time we have seen skin care kiosk, and with AI. Actually makes a lot of sense especially with the quality of cameras these days. These could work in telemedicine quite easily. Put one in every Ulta salon or Sephora for that matter as a public service (and increased sales). They were supposed to come to Sephora as handheld devices but the pandemic likely shunted that off for now.
Excerpt:
LUMINI, an AI-based skin analysis solution developed by lululab, is taking skincare kiosks to the next level via the Korean government’s AI voucher support project. Thanks to artificial intelligence, the kiosk is capable of scanning, diagnosing and making recommendations based on the needs of an individual.
The convenient, hygienic and personalized experience leverages big data and K-beauty to match people to the best solutions for their skin. The process of collecting data about the skin only takes about 10 seconds and it looks at several factors, including pores, wrinkles, sebum, melasma, redness, acne, and oil and moisture balance, with a high degree of accuracy. The kiosk even boasts distance adjusting technology for facial recognition and features that recognize the presence of external lighting or makeup.
More Info
What’s the Lululab Lumini AI Skincare Assistant?
Lululab originally began as an internal project at Samsung but spun-off from the conglomerate in 2017 to become its own brand. Its flagship device is the Lumini, which is described as:
…the first in the beauty industry to use the artificial intelligence technology to digitize the skin. With one photo shoot, it analyzes your skin accurately within 10 seconds and recommends the best product.
Lululab has been celebrated for this advancement in skincare tech, garnering accolades and awards at Cosmoprof, Viva Technology, and even CES 2019.
As we continue to see technology adoption grow across the general population, there are opportunities for companies looking to expand their digital transformation using self-service kiosk solutions.
Not only are businesses looking for more effective digital front-doors, they’re also looking to automate certain processes to conduct more complex self-service interactions. Today’s self-service solutions need to play an integral part in the user experience which adds to customer retention, loyalty and satisfaction while contributing to profitability.
In order to create an experience that has a direct impact on the operator’s profitability, a good deal of thought has to go into the kiosk and its components.
Self-service solutions have grown simply due to the many functions you can now deliver in a kiosk. Kiosks are highly customizable and can perform a number of functions including the following:
Booking reservations
Purchasing tickets
Guest check-in
Printing–tickets, cards, wrist bands
Payment collection (via card or cash)
Identity confirmation
Signature collection
When the kiosk needs to perform several functions, it will also need a number of different components to be housed inside the enclosure. Today’s most common components include the following:
The selection and combination of components is critical to delivering an intelligent and quality user experience.
Self-service kiosks are designed to put the guest in control. Kiosks are meant to reduce wait times and remove friction from the buying cycle. But if the components inside the kiosk can’t deliver the level of performance necessary, it can slow down the pace and degrade the level of service.
While there are many different component options available, all are not created equally. And neither are all self-service kiosk solutions.
When determining which components are selected, it’s important to look at the entire value chain to deliver the highest quality product for the best value. Evaluating the total cost of ownership is a significant piece of this process. And this is the value that Olea delivers. Our customers need to focus on their business and not get distracted by this part of the process.
In order to evaluate the total cost of ownership, the following need to be considered:
Kiosk Hardware Vetting
The selection of components and technology must be taken very seriously because of the need to deliver a solution that is sustainable and secure. It’s important to look at the where the product is at in its current lifecycle, future replacements, CAD data, and design support for integration into a kiosk. Overall availability of the product and avenues to purchase are also critical points.
Kiosk Enclosure Design
The components inside the kiosk need to be placed thoughtfully to ensure proper wiring and cable management and connection. The enclosure needs to protect the components and provide a secure environment with desirable aesthetics.
Application Integration
Not only do the devices need to be integrated to function together, they also need to work with the software that will signal the devices on what to do. Integrations allow for the flow of information to multiple applications to automate business processes and share information from one system to the next to deliver a feature-rich service environment.
Kiosk Serviceability
Evaluation should include consideration of the component MTBF (mean time between failure), what level of field service is necessary, and what level of service/repair should be done by the vendor. In addition, it’s important to evaluate consumables and determine the best ways to maintain and service the unit to extend its life.
The finished product is a finely tuned solution that processes the data and packages it up and sends it on to the next system.
Olea leverages its deep relationships with all of our partners across the ecosystem, hardware, software, POS, etc., to ensure we are dealing with the latest technology and understand the pros and cons around these devices. We’ve created a partner ecosystem centered around self-service delivery so we can attract and evolve with the most diverse and innovative partners to solve our client’s most difficult challenges.
The secret to ensuring a quality user experience is to balance high tech with high touch. We leverage the technology to reduce risk, improve consistency of performance, and increase responsiveness to user needs. And we look to trust-enabling technologies to create deeper customer relationships and loyalty. Olea Kiosks has tremendous experience in helping our customers understand how total cost of ownership impacts profitability. If you’d like to discuss how self-service kiosks can be used to boost productivity and improve the guest experience, contact us now to schedule a call.
Editors Note: McDonald’s owns about 5% of its nearly 14,000 domestic locations and the remainder are franchised. McDonald’s has more than 39,000 locations worldwide.
Blind Americans Commend McDonald’s for Commitment to Accessibility
McDonalds Drive Thru Kiosks
Baltimore, Maryland (May 2021): The National Federation of the Blind, America’s civil rights organization of the blind, and McDonald’s USA announce a collaboration to make McDonald’s self-service kiosks in company-owned, U.S. restaurants even more accessible to customers who are blind. McDonald’s USA’s company-owned restaurants will implement these enhancements by December 31, 2021.
Using new and advanced technology, enhancements to existing accessibility features include screen-reading software, tactile keypads and the ability for customers to connect their headphones or ear buds to the kiosk and independently place their orders by responding to audio prompts.
“More accessible self-service kiosks are a win both for McDonald’s guests who are blind and for its company-owned restaurants, since they will allow us fully independent access to the menu and ordering options without assistance from restaurant employees or other patrons,” said Mark Riccobono, President of the National Federation of the Blind. “We commend McDonald’s for quickly working with us to implement these innovations and hope that McDonald’s leadership in the industry will serve as an example to encourage other restaurant brands to incorporate accessibility into their customer-service technology plans and specifications.”
The enhancements will be incorporated into 100 percent of existing kiosks in California and 25 percent of existing kiosks in each company-owned restaurant in other U.S. states. McDonald’s will also incorporate these upgrades into all kiosks that are installed in any U.S. restaurant after July 1, 2021, including new kiosks that suppliers are approved to sell to franchised restaurants.
McDonald’s and the National Federation of the Blind will continue to collaborate on training for restaurant staff in company-owned restaurants and other innovations impacting McDonald’s guests who are blind.
“At McDonald’s, inclusion means opening our doors to everyone, and finding ways to exceed customers’ unique needs,” Myrna Bell, McDonald’s Senior Director, Global Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Strategic Engagement, said. “We are proud to partner with the National Federation of the Blind to offer innovative solutions for our customers and help make everyone’s McDonald’s experience even more accessible and enjoyable.”
McDonald’s kiosks currently include multiple accessibility features, including a reach mode for guests with reach limitations, a screen magnifier, ample clear floor space and a customer assistance call button designed to alert restaurant crew members that a guest may require assistance.
Interactive signage and digital self-service solutions company, Acquire Digital has partnered with Flyin’ High Signs and Gable to deploy a Digital Directory and Wayfinder kiosk program for Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, according to a press release.
With nearly 300,000 daily travelers, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is the busiest international airport within North America. In a facility with seven concourses and 195 gates, the airport’s goal was to provide a state-of-the-art digital experience to improve airport navigation, communication, and overall efficiencies.
The Gable team incorporated a design that would stand up to the heavy traffic at the airport and catch visitors attention from a distance. According to Flyin’ High Signs, the custom large format 75-inch touch-screen kiosks are in the final stage of installation throughout the terminals.
wayfinding kiosk – Click for full size
The touch screen kiosks feature real-time flight data, retail and concession information, two-way video guest services, advertisements, and other engaging content feeds. Two-way video calling software provides the ability for guests to speak to a live customer service representative who can also take control of the display to assist ADA passengers. According to the Acquire team, passengers can quickly scan their boarding passes to see real-time flight details with FIDs and Delta flight data integrations. Highlighted wayfinding incorporates multimodal transportation to include travel times to a passenger’s gate.
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport Deploy Smart Wayfinding and Digital Directory Kiosks
Atlanta, GA, July 2021 – Industry leaders in interactive signage and digital self-service solutions, Acquire Digital has partnered with Flyin’ High Signs and Gable to deploy an innovative Digital Directory and Wayfinder kiosk program for Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. The teams have worked diligently to provide a custom digital directory and wayfinding solution to improve airport navigation and inform the nearly 300-thousand passengers who visit ATL each day. The airport’s signage vendor, Flyin’ High Signs, is heading up the installation and support of 43 custom kiosks designed and developed by Gable.
With nearly 300,000 daily travelers, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is the busiest international airport within North America. In a facility with seven concourses and 195 gates, the airport’s goal was to provide a state-of-the-art digital experience to improve airport navigation, communication, and overall efficiencies.
A Better Solution
wayfinding kiosk – Click for full size
With post-pandemic traveling increasing, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport wanted a ‘smart directory solution’ that provided tailored information based upon flight data or points of interest and dining options. Flyin’ High Signs, the airport’s signage vendor, incorporated Acquire’s Smarthub Wayfinder technology and Gable’s kiosks to achieve the high demands of a busy airport.
The Gable team incorporated a design that would stand up to the heavy traffic at the airport and catch visitors’ attention from a distance. According to Flyin’ High Signs, the custom large format 75” touch-screen kiosks are in the final stage of installation throughout the terminals.
Smart Features that Drive the Experience
The touch screen kiosks feature real-time flight data, retail and concession information, two-way video guest services, advertisements, and other engaging content feeds. Two-way video calling software provides the ability for guests to speak to a live customer service representative who can also take control of the display to assist ADA passengers. According to the Acquire team, passengers can quickly scan their boarding passes to see real-time flight details with FIDs and Delta flight data integrations. Highlighted wayfinding incorporates multimodal transportation to include travel times to a passenger’s gate.
To provide directions on the go, passengers can access an interactive HTML directory on a mobile device by scanning a QR code or via text message transfer from the kiosk. In the future, the airport plans on implementing the Wayfinder API within the airport’s website to make the solution more accessible to visitors.
Acquire Digital, Flyin’ High Signs, and Gable foresee huge success in this partnership and the project itself. The deployment is expected to improve the overall visitor experience, facility efficiencies, and important messaging. The teams hope to use the Hartfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport kiosk deployment as a way to constantly improve the solution to bring cutting-edge technology to other airports around the world.
Global Leader
Acquire Digital is a global leader in innovative digital signage software and interactive experiences. With over 22 years of experience in the visual solutions and digital signage markets, the company is known for its industry firsts. Its passion for reaching beyond the boundaries of digital signage has played a key role in shaping Acquire into the globally recognized company it is today. The company produces world-class UX and UI solutions that create an interactive and immersive experience.
Troy Engelland
Strategic Sales Manager (North America)
(+1) 248-214-8431
Frank Mayer and Associates, Inc. teams with the Illinois-based cannabis dispensary on a self-service marijuana kiosk program for the business’s multiple locations.
See Marijuana Store 3D Tour hyperlink below store location listing
Editors Note: Currently there are 7 operational stores (4 IL and 3 MI) and will be opening up two more locations in Michigan this summer. The marijuana self-order kiosk model is Frank Mayer and Associates, Inc. Connect Series
GRAFTON, WI – Consume Cannabis Company, a cannabis retailer that operates seven dispensaries throughout Illinois and Michigan, partnered with kiosk designer and manufacturer Frank Mayer and Associates, Inc. to produce self-service kiosks for the company’s many locations.
The interactive kiosks allow customers to browse the store menu and place orders while learning more about the products available. Return customers have appreciated the faster transaction time, and Consume Cannabis has saved on costs and improved the customer experience since implementing the program.
Click for full size image – Cannabis Kiosk Frank Mayer & Consume Cannabis
The stores’ kiosks are Frank Mayer and Associates, Inc.’s Connect model that includes a 22” screen as well as a small footprint to save space. The software shows inventory in real-time and can be managed from a central location.
“When we were looking to update our self-service options, the custom kiosks from Frank Mayer and Associates offered the best experience for both the customers and our team while fitting our stores’ aesthetic,” Dan Scheidt, Director of Marketing at Consume Cannabis says. “I can view and manage all our kiosks remotely, which is crucial as it’s a high-volume part of our business.”
“We’re thrilled Consume Cannabis has had success using self-service technology,” Frank Mayer and Associates, Inc. President Mike Mayer adds. “The dispensary industry has really embraced kiosks, and innovative companies like Consume are proof of the many benefits self-service provides both stores and shoppers.”
Frank Mayer and Associates, Inc. is a leader in the development of interactive kiosks, in-store merchandising displays, and store fixtures for businesses nationwide. The company helps companies, retailers, and brands utilize the latest solutions and technologies to create engaging customer experiences. Visit https://www.olea.com for more information.
Consume Cannabis opened in January 2020 with the purpose of providing a better cannabis experience. They pride themselves on education, quality, and teamwork to succeed in achieving that purpose. Education is at the heart of everything they do, and all the products sold at their dispensaries are grown and manufactured in-state and must pass rigorous lab testing to ensure it meets the highest quality. Read more at https://www.consumecannabis.com.
***
CONTACT: Cheryl Lesniak, Director of Marketing
Frank Mayer and Associates, Inc.
1975 Wisconsin Ave., Grafton, WI 53024
(262) 834-1489 | [email protected]
Assistive technology refers to a wide range of tools and services that help people with disabilities live more independently and participate fully in society. Some of the most common types of assistive technology include:
Braille: Braille is a tactile writing system that uses raised dots to represent letters and numbers. It is used by people who are blind or have low vision.
Tactile navigation: Tactile navigation uses raised or textured surfaces to help people with visual impairments find their way around. It can be found on sidewalks, in buildings, and on public transportation.
Audio: Audio assistive technology includes devices such as audiobooks, speech synthesizers, and screen readers that convert text to speech. It is used by people who are blind, have low vision, or have learning disabilities.
Screen readers: Screen readers are software programs that read text aloud from computer screens. They are used by people who are blind or have low vision.
Multilingual: Assistive technology can be multilingual, supporting multiple languages and dialects. This is important for people who speak more than one language or who live in multilingual communities.
Assistive technology has come a long way in recent years, and there are now many innovative and affordable options available. As technology continues to develop, we can expect to see even more powerful and effective assistive technology tools in the future.
Craig Keefner, director of kiosk association adds, “New regulations regarding assistive technology are set to be released shortly by the U.S. Access Board. Guidelines for EV charging stations as well as Self-Service are on the table.”
Recently we added Dot Inc. with their assistive technology for Braille users — “We are thrilled to welcome Dot Inc. to the Accessibility Committee,” said Craig Keefner, Executive Director of KMA Kiosk Association. “Their dedication to accessibility aligns perfectly with our mission, and their contributions will be instrumental in shaping the future of assistive technology and inclusive kiosk technologies.”
Dot Inc. is known for its innovative solutions like Dot Pad, the first tactile graphic device for the visually impaired. It shows maps, images, and graphics in braille and tactile formats. Their Accessible kiosks combine tactile displays with other tech, making info easily accessible in stores and public places. At CES 2023, Dot Inc. received three awards, including one for Best Innovation in Accessibility.
What is Assistive Technology
Assistive technology refers to a diverse range of tools, devices, software, and equipment designed to enhance the independence, functionality, and quality of life of individuals with disabilities. These technologies are specifically tailored to accommodate various physical, sensory, cognitive, or communication impairments, aiming to bridge the accessibility gap and empower people to participate fully in society.
Assistive technology encompasses various solutions, including screen readers for visually impaired individuals, mobility aids such as wheelchairs and prosthetic limbs, speech-to-text software for those with communication difficulties, and adaptive computer interfaces. Additionally, it includes specialized apps and devices that facilitate daily tasks, from reading and writing to cooking and driving.
The significance of assistive technology cannot be overstated, as it fosters inclusivity and equal opportunities for people with disabilities, enabling them to pursue education, employment, and social engagement with greater autonomy. This field is continually evolving, driven by advancements in robotics, artificial intelligence, and human-computer interaction, promising even more innovative and effective solutions. As society increasingly recognizes the importance of accessibility and inclusivity, the role of assistive technology in enhancing the lives of individuals with disabilities will continue to expand and evolve.
Disabled Statistics – Who Does Assistive Technology Assist?
Restaurant ADA — McDonald’s self-order kiosks utilize multiple assistive technology
Hospitality ADA — Marriott hotel check-in kiosks
Transportation ADA — Southwest Airlines check-in kiosks
Assistive Technology Resources
Vispero – The world’s leading assistive technology provider for people who are blind or who are partially sighted.
JAWS Kiosk is focused on delivering accessible kiosk solutions whether it’s through the incorporation of Freedom Scientific’s industry-leading screen reading software, JAWS®, or by utilizing TPG’s accessible design and technical implementation services.JAWS Kiosk Software –
TPGi — a subsidiary of Vispero, TPG Interactive (TPGi) is a world-class accessibility solutions provider with a reputation for excellence. We help clients achieve end-to-end accessibility in their digital assets (websites, software applications, mobile applications, documents, etc.), as well as assist in embedding accessibility into their processes and procedures. Whether you are new to accessibility or mature in your accessibility processes, TPGi can assist your organization.
Storm Interface — Storm Interface develops and manufactures responsive human interface devices for use in a wide range of public and industrial applications. The company’s award-winning products are now globally deployed, internationally recognized and widely acclaimed.
Tech For All Consulting — https://www.tfaconsulting.com/ — For over 15 years, TFA’s expert teams have been providing consulting services to its clients to ensure the accessibility and usability of their products, websites, mobile apps, kiosks, and services. Tech for All’s Accessibility Compliance and Universal Design Services — Web, Mobile, and Multiplatform Applications — Kiosk and Self-Service Systems — Training — Planning and Strategy
Dolphin Computer Access — Welcome people who are blind and partially sighted into your business by enabling them to fully engage with your self-service points through SuperNova Accessible Kiosks. SuperNova Accessible Kiosks can deliver a range of support—magnification, speech and full screen-reading—without expensive retrofits. SuperNova differentiates itself from other kiosk accessibility software through crystal clear magnification at any level, unrivaled intuitive touchscreen capabilities, 24 changeable color themes and full screen-reading with human-sounding voices. It’s also fully compatible with Storm AudioNav Keypads and the SuperNova API is customizable for your bespoke kiosk projects.
MimoMonitors — Haptic Touchscreens — The first of its kind, this new 10.1” touchscreen leverages the durability, reliability, and quality of the Mimo Vue display and the groundbreaking technology of TanvasTouch to allow users to feel what they see on screen. The result is a multisensory experience that brings touch to life on a new dimension.
dot inc. — Assistive Technology to build a Barrier-free world. Design with the user’s eye level in mind. Automatic and manual use provided for user’s ease and convenience. Braille, tactile, sign language, voice guidance, large font size Barrier-free features for all.
Potential Consequences of Inaction with Assistive Technology
You are missing out on serving a very large and growing consumer marketplace.
June 16, 2021 — A proposed class of consumers with mobility disabilities has slapped the owner-operators of 139 Wendys franchise restaurants with a suit in Wisconsin federal court, claiming they violated the Americans with Disabilities Act by denying disabled customers full and equal access to the eateries.
See Legal News for complete current and past litigations
Consumer buying behaviors have evolved throughout recent years. Some of that is driven by technological advances, some by social and economic shifts, and some by consumers simply wanting more flexibility.
Shortly after the pandemic started, people flocked to fast-food establishments because they had contactless ordering, touchless pick-ups, and standardized menus, making the whole process simple and convenient. It provided an experience that was familiar, affordable, quick, and didn’t require a lot of in-person interaction.
And now we’re seeing many of those efficiencies, especially around the logistics of orders and pick-ups, increasingly borrowed by other elements of the food-service industry, from fast-casual, all the way through to and including other aspects of hospitality, retail, and even healthcare.
We’re all looking for simple, flexible, on-demand experiences. Interacting or buying from a kiosk or on a mobile app is much more convenient and efficient than making your way to the front counter.
Consumer-focused companies will need to invest in the data, technology, and systems required if they are going to deliver the kinds of exceptional experiences that will give them an edge over the competition and position them as customer-experience leaders.
Consumers want the purchase or patient journey to be as frictionless as possible, and in order to deliver on experience, there has to be close collaboration between the physical and digital channels along with innovation in building omnichannel capabilities. Whether the person is interacting with you from a desktop or mobile device, by kiosk, telephone, or a brick-and-mortar point, it has to be seamless.
Regardless of the industry, when it comes to serving the customer of the future, the key is to focus on being client-centric.
Customers Look For
Convenience
Control
Personalization
Self-Service Convenience
There’s a lot to be said for convenience. We’re all time-starved and looking for instant gratification. The trick is to remove all unnecessary obstacles in the customer or patient journey so consumers can achieve their objectives quickly and easily.
Covid-19 has only amplified the need for easy access to products and services, convenience, and relevant information. And delivering this kind of convenience has been shown to increase loyalty.
Consumers want service providers to look at the following ways of enhancing convenience:
Minimize waiting times
Manage queues/wait time effectively
Reduce ambiguity–explain exactly what I need to do next at all points in my task or purchase journey
Make my time investment feel worth it
So as each of our industries continues down its path of digitally transforming the customer experience, it’s important for each business to test the full experience and confirm that it makes sense.
For example, offering contactless check-in or a digital key on your phone from a hotel is great, provided the guest doesn’t need anything else to come and go as they please and enjoy their stay.
Unfortunately, when that digital check-in is performed over the app, we are discovering that sometimes there are pieces of the physical check-in process that have now been eliminated (or forgotten), but still need to be performed.
If the guest requires a parking pass to place in their vehicle, we need to think about another way to deliver that pass without asking them to wait in the check-in line. In some locations, waiting in line might not be a big deal, but if you consider large hotels and resorts like those in Las Vegas, long check-in lines are not how you want to kick off the guest experience.
While most digital keys work great, if the reservation wasn’t made in your name, it can be quite an ordeal to complete identity verification for another individual to get that digital key.
Self-service kiosks, unlike phones, can provide physical deliverables, like a parking pass, a wristband or even an encoded hotel key. And these kiosks can perform the required security checks to ensure continued safety.
Bottom line, we need to look at the whole process and ensure we haven’t created a service gap as we modernize and automate processes. Review every part of the experience to ensure guest wait times have been minimized and confirm you haven’t created ambiguity or another hoop for the customer to jump through.
Customer Control – Put the User in Control
With the rapid proliferation of technology at our fingertips, consumers are indicating they prefer the control that self-service options provide them. If it’s simply fast-food ordering from a kiosk or app or self-checkout at a retail or grocery store, consumers are increasingly drawn to self-service methods.
But why?
Minimize Errors by Staff
When you put the customer in control of checking-in, ordering, or the payment process, it minimizes the errors made by order takers. You don’t have to worry about either party misunderstanding the name, the order, or entering the wrong items. The user is less likely to make an error when they’re entering their own information.
Self-Service Customization Benefits
Consumers feel comfortable customizing their orders when they’re inputting the information themselves. If someone else is taking their order, they might feel pressured by people waiting in line behind them. Self-service kiosks will give people the chance to see a full list of modifications and make more informed choices, which leads to greater customer satisfaction.
How To Shorten Lines
Think back to the long snake lines at airline check-in counters. Just seeing that line created anxiety for travelers. Now that many airlines offer self-service check-in kiosks and mobile apps, the experience has been enhanced dramatically. This also puts the customer in control because they can decide if they’d like to wait in line or self-serve.
Customer Personalization by Self-Service
It all begins with data. Many service providers have the data, contextual, timely information that can dramatically improve and personalize the experience.
Personalized marketing can be something as simple as including a person’s name in an email or as complex as notifying them about a service they’re interested in is now available.
Self-Service Benefits
In order to deliver personalization, the organization might collect data on the person from a number of sources. This data might come from customer profiles or behavioral data from brand interaction, or it could be data purchased from another organization. Some brands are even using AI for hyper-personalization.
A business can benefit from personalization as it can help build and maintain customer engagement which often leads to purchases. It helps to create a stronger brand image and greater customer loyalty.
But there are risks too. When you collect that data and store it, you’re responsible for keeping it private and ensuring that it is only used with customer permission. You also have to ensure that you aren’t using it with aggressive, insensitive, or stalking tactics.
Personalization was once limited only to targeted offers. But this now can extend to the entire customer experience. Customers want personalization throughout their interaction because it enables them to allocate their time and money to their preferences.
The challenge here is that if we give you access to all our data, we’re expecting you to use it to enhance our experience, not just your sales opportunities. If I’m willing to sign up for your loyalty program and I use that program to book my next stay, I’ve agreed to give you my data. And many people are willing to give up their data, but you need to know that they want something in exchange. How will you deliver value in return?
This is where many organizations need to review the customer experience and ensure it’s being used to attract, engage and retain customers. Mapping the end-to-end customer experience to identify any pain points is necessary.
Pandemic or no pandemic, the customer is still king. But the customers of the future will expect more. Olea Kiosks has tremendous experience in helping our clients deliver an enhanced user experience throughout the customer journey. If you’d like to discuss how self-service kiosks can be used to boost productivity and improve the guest experience, contact us now to schedule a call.
DENVER | April 20, 2021 06:00 AM Mountain Daylight Time
CSG® (NASDAQ: CSGS) today recognized KIOSK Information Systems (KIOSK) with its 2020 Outstanding Partner Performance of the Year Award. KIOSK is being recognized for its agility and ability to shift its operations to successfully support CSG to drive digital transformation efforts for its customers during a period of high demand and universal pandemic challenges.
“We are thrilled to receive this prestigious award and recognition,” said Eric Nebola, vice president of sales, KIOSK Information Systems. “Since 2007, we have evolved our strategic partnership with CSG and continue to enhance our collective capabilities through technical innovation and focus on delivering an exceptional customer experience.”
The 2020 CSG Outstanding Partner Performance of the Year Award recognizes a partner, that together with CSG, advances technology innovation and delivers outstanding customer service while driving business growth and transformation.
The partnership between KIOSK and CSG helps operators make payments easier for their customers by providing an end-to-end solution that digitally transforms their business models. The solution drives operational efficiency and personalization during the self-service experience, differentiating the customer experience by providing secure, scalable payment services, including:
• Payments: Enables operators to accept traditional and emerging payment methods, including cash, contactless payments, credit, debit, EMV, EFT entry, and more.
• Enhanced Customer Experience: By increasing accessibility and minimizing wait times, CSG Payment Kiosks drive a better user experience while supporting in-store employees to focus on making sales.
• Improved Efficiency: CSG Payment Kiosks saves hundreds of thousands of manual labor hours annually, allowing operators to leverage digital services that improve operational efficiencies and enhance productivity.
“CSG is delighted to award KIOSK for its commitment to innovation and exceptional customer focus in support of the digital transformation efforts we drive on behalf of our customers,” said Ken Kennedy, chief operating officer and president of CSG’s Revenue Management and Digital Monetization solutions unit. “We look forward to growing our relationship with KIOSK to jointly evolve and extend the reach of our automated payments capabilities.”
Through its partnership with KIOSK, CSG has installed more than 2000 payment kiosks, responsible for processing over seven million annual transactions that have generated $1.4 billion in annual payments.
See our Legal News for the latest developments in law.
Original story — Article from TPGi (aka Vispero) on historical legal implications of non-compliance with accessibility. Predominantly it is a lack of accessibility for the blind which triggers the legal action and the plaintiffs checklist seems to be
April 2021 Update — Website Accessibility — Court rules grocery store’s inaccessible website isn’t an ADA violation — The Winn-Dixie website isn’t accessible for blind users with screen readers. The two-judge majority placed a lot of weight on the fact that the ADA only applies to physical spaces. In their view, a website is not a public accommodation as the ADA defines the concept.
Explanation and analysis of the ruling by William Goren details the case and provides thoughts and predictions on where it will lead next.
Excerpt:
I agree with the dissent that this decision will make it much harder for persons with disability to prevail on their Internet accessibility claims, though the court does not create a high bar for standing. It is very unclear to me whether other Circuits will adopt this approach as it goes in a completely different direction than we have seen previously. Also, I think it likely that the Supreme Court will take this case up. What the Supreme Court will do is anybody’s guess. As I have mentioned before, people with disabilities have been very successful at the Supreme Court level outside of the employment context. For reasons mentioned in this blog entry, that success may continue with this case. If that success does continue, what we don’t know is how will the Supreme Court get there. Stay tuned. This will be a very very interesting case to follow.
Another Analysis by JDSUPRA — The Court acknowledged that Gil could state a claim for a violation of the ADA if he could show that the website constituted an “intangible barrier” to his access to the goods, services, privilege’s, or advantages of Winn Dixie’s physical stores, but found that Winn Dixie’s website did not present such a barrier.
Picking up prescriptions is still physical — In the Eleventh Circuit, to establish a violation of the ADA based on an inaccessible website, a plaintiff must show that the inaccessibility of the website prevented him or her from accessing the goods, services, privileges, or advantages of a physical place of public accommodation.
You can file in different court — thus we do not believe this decision will have much impact on the number of website accessibility lawsuits filed.
the likelihood of the U.S. Supreme Court taking up this issue has certainly increased now that there is a conflict between the Eleventh Circuit and the Ninth Circuit
Editors Note: The Winn-Dixie website offers delivery and pickup services and takes the order online. How does the court rebut that?
About a year ago, I discussed on my blog the case of MaGee v. Coca-Cola Refreshments USA, Inc., a published decision from the Fifth Circuit, holding that a vending machine was not a place of public accommodation and therefore, Coca-Cola’s machines did not have to comply with the ADA. The case was appealed to the United States Supreme Court, and the United States Supreme Court asked the Department of Justice to weigh in on whether it should grant certiorari. The Department of Justice has now weighed in. That brief bears looking at because it also suggests how the Department of Justice might react to website accessibility lawsuits under title III of the ADA. The brief is divided into the categories of highlights and takeaways. The reader, of course, is free to focus on either or both of the categories.
Editor Note: Article from TPGi (aka Vispero) on historical legal implications of non-compliance with accessibility. Predominantly it is a lack of accessibility for the blind which triggers the legal action and the plaintiffs checklist seems to be:
Is there audio
Any tactile indicators for blind
The main qualifier being can a blind user operate and conduct transaction.
2020 – Health Screening Kiosks — this is in progress. — lack of tactile navigation
2018 — Applebee agreed to changes in tabletop kiosk — not sure
2015 — Touchscreens on Coca Cola dispensing machine Freestyle. Interesting that the court found employee assistance was acceptable alternative. Also, the machines were in McDonalds and required of the franchisees. It is the franchisees that get sued, not McDonalds, Dicarlo v McDonalds. More on Leagle
2016 – Panera and iPad. Settled. – audio and tactility resolution
2016 — Pursuant Health This involved audio and adding “hot spots” to the touchscreen. Could have been haptic?
2016 — LinkNYC – NFB Suit — many changes. Improved screen navigation, dedicated short cut key to request assistance, and an updated screenreader/text-to-speech engine.
University of Montana
2011 – JetBlue — this is a case where the plaintiffs actually lost (appealed) – Pervasive used as argument — only airline websites and kiosks — The lower court ruled that California state law protecting the civil rights of persons with disabilities does not apply to airline websites and kiosks. The court’s ruling only applies to airline websites and kiosks, and does not affect legal advocacy efforts seeking access to other websites or kiosks.
For further reading here is fascinating reading excerpt from the Various Point of Sales
Websites, Kiosks, and Other Self-Service Equipment in Franchising: Legal Pitfalls Posed by Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act Minh N. Vu and Julia N. Sarnoff
In 2015, blind plaintiffs represented by the same firm brought three separate class actions in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York against Moe’s, Walgreens, and Five Guys for having inaccessible drink dispensers (the Freestyle machine) in their establishments.110
Although the specific restaurant locations identified in the Moe’s and the Five Guys complaints were franchises, the plaintiffs did not name the franchisees as defendants in the lawsuits. Instead, the plaintiffs based their claims on Moe’s and Five Guys’ alleged nationwide policies for installing Freestyle machines at all of their restaurant locations, whether franchised or not, and argued that these dispensers should have had technology to allow the plaintiffs to use the machines independently. In the first case to be decided, the district court held that “under the ADA, effective assistance from Moe’s employees acting as ‘qualified readers’ is sufficient” and that the restaurant was not obligated to provide blind accessible drink dispensers.111 The court also held that the restaurant’s failure to provide assistance on one occasion was an isolated incident that could not be the basis for an ADA claim.112 The court said that to state a claim that Moe’s failed to adopt policies and procedures to provide assistance to blind customers, the plaintiff would have had to allege that he did not receive assistance on multiple occasions.113
Undeterred, the same plaintiffs in May 2016 filed a class action lawsuit against McDonald’s Corporation and several franchisees alleging that the Freestyle machines are not accessible and that the restaurants failed to provide effective assistance to them on many occasions. 114 After McDonald’s filed a motion for judgment on the pleadings in May 2016,115 the plaintiffs voluntarily dismissed the lawsuit without prejudice even though no settlement was reached.116 The Freestyle machine cases illustrate that franchisors can face potential
ADA Title III liability at franchisee locations when their brand standards require franchisees to use of inaccessible customer-facing EIT. Depending on their franchise agreements, franchisees may look to franchisors for indemnification for such ADA liability. Consequently, franchisors should carefully consider accessibility when developing such EIT for use in their franchised systems. Manufacturers of customer-facing EIT cannot be expected to consider accessibility because they are not public accommodations and have no liability under Title III of the ADA. Case in point: vending-machine manufacturer Coca-Cola in 2016 defeated an ADA Title III class action lawsuit about its drink vending machine, which is not accessible to blind users. The Fifth Circuit upheld the district court’s dismissal of the lawsuit, holding that the vending machine itself is not a “place of public accommodation.”117
The plaintiff had argued that the vending machine is a “sales establishment” that would place it within the statute’s definition of a “place of public accommodation.” The Fifth Circuit disagreed, finding that the term “establishment” includes “not only a business but also the physical space it occupies.”118 The court did note, however, that having an inaccessible vending machine could have legal implications for the owners and operators of the space in which the vending machine are located because that space could be a place of public accommodation.119 The plaintiffs have petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court for review.120
Other types of self-service kiosks have been the subjects of lawsuits as well. In 2015, a blind plaintiff sued Sears for having price scanners in its stores that are not accessible to the blind.121 That case resolved very quickly with no judicial determination or guidance because the parties agreed to settle the case without litigation.122 In 2016, blind plaintiffs sued Panera for having iPad touchscreen kiosks for self-ordering in cafes that were allegedly not accessible to the blind.123 That case also settled quickly, once again without providing us with more insight into the public accommodations requirements courts may seek to impose.
2015), ECF No. 1; Complaint, Dicarlo v. Walgreens Boot Alliance, Inc., No. 15-CV-2919-JPO (S.D.N.Y. Apr. 15, 2015), ECF No. 1; Complaint, West v. Five Guys Enters., LLC,1:15-CV-02845 (S.D.N.Y. Apr. 13, 2015), ECF No.
111. West v. Moe’s Franchisor, LLC, No. 15-CV-2846, 2015 WL 8484567, at *3 (S.D.N.Y.Dec. 9, 2015).
112. Id. at *4.
113. Id. The dismissal of plaintiffs’ claims in West v. Moe’s Franchisor, LLC quickly led to the dismissal of the two other Freestyle cases brought in the Southern District of New York. See Dicarlo v. Walgreens Boot Alliance, Inc., No. 15-CV-2919-JPO, 2016 WL 482982 (S.D.N.Y. Feb. 5, 2016) (granting defendant’s motion to dismiss, relying on West v. Moe’s Franchisor,LLC); West v. Five Guys Enters., LLC, No. 1:15-CV-02845, 2016 WL 482981 (S.D.N.Y.Feb. 5, 2016) (same).
114. Complaint, Dicarlo v. McDonald’s Corp., No. 1:15-cv-02273-ALC-BCM (S.D.N.Y.Mar. 26, 2015), ECF No.
115. Defendant’s Notice of Motion and Memorandum of Law in Support of Judgment on the Pleadings, Dicarlo v. McDonald’s Corp., No. 1:15-cv-02273-ALC-BCM (S.D.N.Y. May 24, 2016), ECF Nos. 57–58.
116. Stipulation of Voluntary Dismissal, Dicarlo v. McDonald’s Corp., No. 1:15-cv-02273-ALC-BCM (S.D.N.Y. June 9, 2016), ECF No. 63.
Payment kiosks are increasing in number and in the verticals where they are used. Many grocers and big box stores have implemented self-checkout to keep lines short, provide shoppers with greater convenience, and make the most of labor – one associate can manage multiple checkouts equipped with kiosks that accept payments rather than one traditional checkout lane.
Additionally, kiosks that accept payments are appearing in quick service and fast-casual restaurants, healthcare provider offices, utility and local government offices, and in a range of locations for accepting nonprofit donations.
1. Kiosk Payment via Facial Recognition with PopID
Drive-thru, quick service, and counter service restaurants in California have been the first to implement payment by facial recognition technology. PopID, a Cali Group company, developed this alternative kiosk payment option. Customers can sign up for a PopID account, link their credit or debit card, and then opt-in to start a facial recognition scan at any PopID-enabled business; successful scans process the payment instantly.
These kiosk payment solutions began popping up on college campuses. Cali Group CEO John Miller explained, “Young people that have grown up taking pictures of themselves and posting them on the internet have no problem with facial recognition.” Soon after gaining on-campus popularity, restaurants like Daddy’s Chicken. For businesses, implementing the solution has added benefits, including increased speed of service as well as lower payment processing fees for credit and debit transactions.
2. QR Code Payments
Another alternative kiosk payment option — and one that is quite affordable for small businesses– is QR code payment. Mobile phone camera technology enables customers to automatically read codes from several feet away and make a payment without requiring them to download apps. QR codes that direct customers to a payment page can be accessed from a customer display or printed onto a receipt.
With distanced, touchless payment experiences in demand since the COVID-19 pandemic began, QR code payment adoption has seen a significant increase, driven in part by the high-profile partnership between CVS and PayPal.
3. Text-to-Pay Solutions
It’s no secret that mobile ordering increased due to COVID-19. For example, Yum Yum Brands saw a 40 percent uptick in mobile and kiosk ordering, representing 40 percent of sales in Q2 2020. However, for a first-time customer, downloading an app and setting it up with the personal information required to process the transaction may discourage them from the process. Text-to-pay solutions are designed to decrease this payment friction.
A text-to-pay solution allows a business to send a text message to a customer placing an order on a kiosk or a smartphone. The customer uses the link in the text to pay remotely. The solution can also trigger a real-time notification when the customer arrives to pick up the order.
Omnichannel Payments Grocery
Solutions Grocers Need in 2021
Grocery Omnichannel Payment
If you have provided solutions to the grocery vertical in the past, you probably focused on the terminal point of sale (POS), scales, barcode scanners, and card-present payments. In addition to the vertical changing since Q1 2020, your business has also had to transform by expanding your portfolio of grocery solutions to include:
Mobile devices for delivery drivers and staff managing curbside pickup
Mobile devices for staff that picks and fills orders
Mobile printers to print tags and labels that organize the picking, packaging and delivery processes
Mobile device management to ensure employees have functional devices throughout their shifts and that those devices are secure
Kiosk solutions for self-checkout and check-in for order pickup
Add-on solutions for delivery and route management
Robust inventory solutions that provide online shoppers with real-time information
Payment solutions capable of accepting contactless “tap-and-go” payments as well as mobile wallets
ADA Accessibility Kiosk Series 2021 – Website Lawsuits Title III
Craig Keefner, editor
April Update — Court rules grocery store’s inaccessible website isn’t an ADA violation — The Winn-Dixie website isn’t accessible for blind users with screen readers. The two-judge majority placed a lot of weight on the fact that the ADA only applies to physical spaces. In their view, a website is not a public accommodation as the ADA defines the concept.
Another Winn-Dixie Analysis by JDSUPRA — The Court acknowledged that Gil could state a claim for a violation of the ADA if he could show that the website constituted an “intangible barrier” to his access to the goods, services, privilege’s, or advantages of Winn Dixie’s physical stores, but found that Winn Dixie’s website did not present such a barrier.
Picking up prescriptions is still physical — In the Eleventh Circuit, to establish a violation of the ADA based on an inaccessible website, a plaintiff must show that the inaccessibility of the website prevented him or her from accessing the goods, services, privileges, or advantages of a physical place of public accommodation.
You can file in different court — thus we do not believe this decision will have much impact on the number of website accessibility lawsuits filed.
the likelihood of the U.S. Supreme Court taking up this issue has certainly increased now that there is a conflict between the Eleventh Circuit and the Ninth Circuit
Editors Note: The Winn-Dixie website offers delivery and pickup services and takes the order online. How does the court rebut that?
We’ve always known that unattended self-service kiosks and Point-Of-Sale are subject to ADA accessibility lawsuits. Walmart in California learned that the hard way a few years back. California and Unruh Act are particularly profitable for lawyers.
Along with self-service, websites themselves have drawn their fair share of attention for accessibility as well. The pandemic though has served to amplify that segment as restaurants quickly erect their mobile and online ordering systems, sometimes too quickly.
Proliferation of Desktop and Mobile Ordering
It used to be you would walk in or drive up and order via the speaker and the underpaid employee (most likely) at the window. You assumed you would drop some change at the pay window accidentally and that half the time they will get any type of multi-item order incorrect.
Lawyers targeting those websites for accessibility are naturally increasing. In 2020 the cases in NY increased by 49% (1756 sites). There were more than 3,000 ADA digital accessibility lawsuits filed last year. Too bad there isn’t some sort of ETF for lawsuits you could own.
From the California Dental Association March 2021:
There’s a rising wave of litigation based on violations of the Americans with Disability Act (AwDA). In addition to “drive by” lawsuits grounded in physical barriers to access, “click by” lawsuits are being filed in increasing numbers. Plaintiffs target office websites that are not accessible to those with hearing, vision or learning impairments.
Most dentists and other small business owners earnestly want to comply with well-intentioned AwDA legislation; however, it continues to be exploited for financial gain by predatory plaintiffs.
Digital Accessibility — Who gets hit the most?
E-commerce or Hospitality (including food service) received the majority of claims
New York, California and Florida make up over 90% of cases – when you combine federal and state lawsuits
One checkout option displays a pop-up window that prompts users to either login or checkout as a guest. This digital platform’s checkout popup was not registered by screen readers. This lawsuit alleges that blind users are unable to complete the checkout process.
It should be noted that historically and in 2020, website desktop lawsuits make up the majority of digital accessibility lawsuits filed in federal court.
What About the Pandemic?
It has made it worse sorry to say.
COVID Accessibility Lawsuits Usablenet.com
What to do before you are sued
Have a blind user complete your top tasks on your website
Take inventory and collect data
identify all public facing content
do your videos use closed caption
run automation tests
look at a remediation plan
Document your completed accessibility testing results
What To Do If You Get Sued?
Accessibility widgets are not going to protect you and your site from a lawsuit. Most companies have not made accessibility a priority so they are vulnerable.
The usual course of action is to check with your legal team and they will generally recommend settlement which only encourages “click by” artists.
Is it digital accessibility or is it physical accessibility?
If it is a recurring plaintiff, check with lawyers who defended prior
66% of consumers prefer self-service over interacting with an employee because it is faster and less stressful. [Palmer Retail]
Payment Options: 29% of consumers prefer contactless payments such as mobile wallets, contactless payment kiosks, and QR code payments.
Market Reports (Pick your poison)
The global interactive kiosk market size was valued at $14.76 billion in 2018, and is projected to reach $32.51 billion by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 9.1% from 2020 to 2027. [Allied]
The global kiosk market is projected to grow from $22.69 billion in 2021 to $51.05 billion in 2028 at a CAGR of 12.3% in forecast period [2021-2028] [Fortune]
According to ResearchAndMarkets, the self-service kiosk market was valued at US $11,319 million in 2019 and it is projected to reach US $21,415.4 million by 2027.
Here is story on Chick-Fil-A and virtual order takers in the drive thru (TikTok video) — link
Canadian organizations are taking a broad, strategic view of their kiosk investments, saying the number one business driver is to support their digital transformation, with 77% saying the technology will be important or very important in the next five years. [CDN]
Kiosk Association (KMA)
From PRNewswire March 2021 — New 2021 Interactive Kiosk Market Research Report Released
DENVER, March 15, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — The Kiosk Association announces the release “U.S. Self-Service Kiosks” market research report. 134 pages and 34 graphics covering Market Drivers for the unattended self-service kiosk market. For purposes of kiosk and interactive signage markets, the ATM, Vending and hybrid POS self-checkouts such as Walmart are not prime weighted factors.
Kiosk Association holds our second call this year with US Access Board prior to that seminar.
PCI Compliance and EMV Compliance
The Kiosk Association is conducting a poll on the direction of EMV deployments. We recommend all new deployments include EMV and Contactless. The target should be PCI-PTS v5 devices. Several RFPs have specified v3 which will only require replacing in a year. Worth noting a large segment is continuing with mag stripe only. Let us know what you think – take the poll. 30 seconds, one question and no registration required.
Questions – Contact Craig Keefner | [email protected] | 720.324.1837 m (text or call)
About the Kiosk Association:
Based in Colorado the Kiosk Association or KMA has served the unattended self-service interactive kiosk market since 1995. We lead the effort to optimize self-service engagements and outcomes using technology such as kiosks, digital signage and displays, service, monitoring, and touchscreens.
ADA Accessibility and PCI EMV Compliance are the primary regulatory focus for the KMA. KMA is a Participating Organization with the PCI SSC. For ADA, the KMA meets annually with U.S. Access Board on accessibility standards for unattended. Additional market coverage includes digital signage, interactive digital, retail automation, Point-of-Sale and smart city. See us on LinkedIn. The Kiosk Association is available on https://kioskindustry.org/ and https://kma.global
*LOGO link for media: https://www.Send2Press.com/300dpi/20-0315s2p-kioskma-300dpi.jpg
This release was issued through Send2Press®, a unit of Neotrope®. For more information, visit Send2Press Newswire at https://www.Send2Press.com
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