Toshiba MFPs Offer Section 508 Accessibility
One in four U.S. adults has some form of disability, with the majority of these disabilities not immediately visible. To help bring awareness and advocacy for individuals’ rights, December 3rd is International Day of Persons with Disabilities.
Nearly 1.3 billion people globally live with some sort of disability, and this global event celebrates the contributions and achievements of individuals with disabilities. IDPD also hopes to bring protections and inclusion where they have often been marginalized or misrepresented. At Toshiba, we believe in empowering our colleagues and clients in positive and supportive ways. We strive to enhance our people and customers’ experiences by offering accessible best practices for technology and solutions, from our approach of inclusive hiring to training on the value of diversity, to our product engineering and manufacturing.
For years, Toshiba has offered a variety of features and options on our e-Studio MFP products that enhance their usability by individuals with disabilities. Some of these Section 508 accessibility features include:
- Remote access to the front panel from mobile devices or tablets via eConnect Touch-Free Toshiba’s unique app, making it easier to access the front panel.
- Tilting/Adjustable front control panel on MFPs that helps individuals using wheelchairs to easily see and operate.
- e-Bridge Voice Plus for Voice Guidance. Visually impaired individuals will receive voice confirmation of their selected setting selections on the MFP tilting front panel.
- Accessible Arm which allows wheelchair-bound users to raise and lower the document feeder if needed.
- Customizable Front Panel where background and text colors/size can be adjusted to enhance readability for visually impaired persons.
- Audible Beeps feature which offers six distinct sound patterns to notify the status of a job for visually impaired persons.
We are living in a time of ever-evolving and accelerated technological advancements and the impact on both our business and personal lives is, to say the least, tremendous. Most of these advancements, from AI to manufacturing have been positive for improving communication, innovation, and enhanced solutions in just about every industry and sector.
Like many of you, I have viewed technology as a tool to help me manage the daily tasks that I am responsible for accomplishing. I have also taken for granted the access I have to this technology. Individuals with disabilities often have a different reality.
As we approach International Day of Persons with Disabilities, let us use our voice to acknowledge that there is much work to be done when it comes to promoting the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities and that each of us can play a vital role in supporting our friends, colleagues, and clients to build a synergy that supports and sustains people of all abilities.
