One of Ricoh’s missions is to be the leading provider of accessible document imaging products. Ricoh wants to provide our customers with an office environment to maximise their productivity, through the use of accessible technology. Using software and networked solutions, Ricoh will streamline document workflow, and make advanced features available for all.
Ricoh design for accessibility
Ricoh believes that accessibility is equivalent to a more productive, user-friendly product. Ricoh’s product design for accessibility is based on these main factors:
- Accessibility should be considered from the beginning and incorporated into the core requirements of the device
- Accessibility features should be configured to enhance overall functionality—not restrict it
- Design process should include accessibility and usability evaluations, and schedule should allow for iteration of design to accommodate results of evaluations
- Compatibility with personal assistance technologies and devices commonly used by impaired users
- Accommodations for all the major single-impairment conditions.
Why is accessibility important?
Today’s sophisticated multifunction products (MFPs) can become a time-consuming task to operate—not everybody is an experienced printer user, or knows how to clear a paper jam or replace a toner cartridge. That’s why Ricoh is focusing on accessibility. More people—with or without disability, young and old—should be able to benefit from the intuitive operation and convenience of our products.
Accessibility plays a key role in developing the means for people to use Ricoh products in many different environments.
Accessibility in office equipment
International Organization for Standardization (ISO) provides a standard ISO/IEC 10779:2008 on office equipment accessibility, which brings the advantages of technology to a much wider range of users. As the percentage of older people in the world’s population is increasing, this stardard will play a critical role in ensuring accessibility, and help businesses target their products to more users.
Among other things, the standard specifies accessibility guidelines for developing printers, copiers and MFPs, and indicates that office equipment should be operable by people:
- With limited vision
- With limited mobility
- With limited reach
- With limited physical strength
- Irrespective of lower body impairment.
Tender requirements
Many countries have legislation requiring provisions for accessibility, and increasingly, tenders for Global Major Accounts (GMAs) and government bodies need to address these specific needs.
This white paper outlines some of the adaptive technology that Ricoh has implemented to ensure that customers are in compliance with various legislation and other standards.
Ricoh’s accessibility features
Going beyond delivering the high level of functionality and reliability, Ricoh is determined to go the extra mile in user-friendliness as well. Ricoh’s efforts have produced thoughtful, high-performance accessibility enhancements designed to simplify users’ life and work.
Many of Ricoh’s accessibility enhancements have been designed make Ricoh’s devices accessible to users:
- With visual impairment
- In wheelchairs
- With other disabilities that may make is challenging to use device functions
- Who are elderly.
Examples of Ricoh’s accessibility features
Some of Ricoh’s accessibility features are standard with Ricoh’s latest GWNX-enabled devices and some are optional only with specific devices. Please check the availability of these features with your local sales company.
Simplified display
Selecting the Simplified Display button on the operation panel, reduces the complexity of the user interface and enlarges the text and soft key icons to a 5 mm character height for easier readability.
Advantages
- Enlarges soft keys and text size to make the screen easier for visually-challenged users to read
- Displays only the basic features to minimise confusion
- Simplified Display key at the operation panel makes it easy to go back and forth between the Standard and Simplified display modes
Display for users with colour deficiency
Users can change the key colour to a colour scheme with blue and red hues, which are easy to read by users with the most common forms of colour deficiency. This feature is available on MFPs with the colour touch screen user interface.Advantages
- Switching to the specific colour scheme makes it easier for visually challenged users to distinguish between active options on display when selecting functions on the operation panel
Animated user guidance
In the event of a paper jam, an empty toner cartridge, or other maintenance condition, animated user guidance screens walk users step by step through paper misfeed, error correction, and toner replenishment procedures. This feature is available on MFPs with the colour touch screen user interface.
Advantages
- Allows users to correct minor problems without assistance from a technician
- Communicates fault correction procedures with animated screens and text instructions that are easy to understand
- Helps to maintain maximum uptime and customer satisfaction
Barrier-free colour management
Barrier-free colour management is a print mode that can be set on a printer or MFP to provide clear coloured text and graphics. When activated, this mode automatically adjusts colours on the printed page so it’s easier to distinguish between certain colours, such as red and green, and between similar colours and shades. Barrier-free colour management mode is available in the PCL 6 and PostScript printer drivers.Advantages
- Automatic colour adjustment feature maximises legibility on output for users with colour weakness
Multilingual user interface
When using the PCL 6 printer driver, users can change the driver display to one of the 17 languages. This means, administrators can distribute and install one driver across entire multinational, multilingual organisations.Advantages
- Allows users to apply print job settings in their native language
- Maximises understanding, and minimises waste when users are not familiar with the default driver language
- Especially useful in Global Major Accounts (GMAs) and Major Accounts (MAs), allowing each user to set their driver display to their most familiar language
- Alleviates IT workload and calls to help desk to change the driver language
Screen reader compatible printer drivers
Screen readers are software applications that allow visually impaired users to read and speak the text that is displayed in a software application, website, or in a PDF of an operator manual via a speech synthesiser. Several of Ricoh’s devices support the use of a screen reader for their printer drivers and operator manuals.Advantages
- Allows visually impaired users to operate Ricoh’s systems
Tilting operation panel
Several Ricoh devices have an operation panel that can be tilted up to 90 degrees horizontally, allowing it to be viewed from different heights, and reducing possible reflective glare.
Advantages
- Allows users of different heights to adjust for glare from overhead lighting or ambient light from a window
- Seated users can easily adjust from one position to another
Scanner accessibility option
Some MFPs allow for the scanner to be detached from the mainframe, placed on a nearby stand, and attached to the mainframe via a short extension cable. This feature allows not just the scanner, but the operation panel and ARDF to be operated from a seated position or a specific height required by the user.
Advantages
- Lowers the height of the scanner and operation panel for wheelchair-bound users to make it easier to feed originals and set up print jobs on the operation panel
Single-handed operation
On several Ricoh printers and MFPs, users can open access doors, replace toner bottles, clear paper jams, and open paper trays with one hand.
Advantages
- Allows physically-challenged users to use all features of devices and perform minor service and maintenance tasks
Universal grip paper tray handles
The paper tray handle design allows users to pull open trays with an overhand grip—which is used from a standing position—or under-hand grip—which is used from a seated position.
Advantages
- Gives users maximum leverage to open paper trays from any position
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