Page 22 - Mainstreamer e-Magazine Volume 1, Issue 3 - August 2023

BARRIER FREE SOCIETY
Braille Soft Drink Vending Machine: IT Helps!

Rashid
Ating

he world we live in today keeps evolving; with of vending machine is equipped with three main
new inventions every day, there is no end features: giving information about the usage of
Tto human innovation. However, sometimes the device, emitting LED light to help the visually
this innovation is aimed at ordinary people only, impaired person, and having Braille plates on the
with less attention given to person with disabilities machine to identify types of products and prices.
(PWDs). The first commercial vending machine The Braille soft drink vending machines are
ever recorded in the 18th century in England was a spread at nine Klang Valley Integrated Transit Map
coin-actuated box selling tobacco and snuff. locations. Four are in the Kelana Jaya line, while
Nowadays, vending machines are taking the the remaining five are in the Ampang line. Out
world by storm. Many types of vending machines of these nine locations, one is in KL Sentral, the
have been available around the globe for the last centre of all transportation hubs in Klang Valley.
10 years. For Malaysia, we have vending machines The train stations names that have this Braille
for our local cuisine, such as nasi lemak and nasi vending machine are as follows:
kerabu, and snacks, such as Maggi. • LRT Abdullah Hukum (Kelana Jaya Line)
• LRT Ampang (Ampang Line)
• LRT Bandaraya (Ampang Line)

• LRT Kerinchi (Kelana Jaya Line)
• LRT KL Sentral (Kelana Jaya Line)
• LRT Masjid Jamek (Kelana Jaya Line)
• LRT Plaza Rakyat (Ampang Line)
• LRT PWTC (Ampang Line)
• LRT Universiti (Kelana Jaya Line)
Picture 2 compares a Braille vending machine
and a no-Braille one. Both vending machines
appear identical at first glance; what distinguishes
the Braille vending machine is that it has a voice to
provide instructions and information on completing
Braille soft drink vending machine at LRT Universiti, the transaction. This voice will be automatically
nearby Universiti Malaya. Located outside the train
station. (Photo by Rashid Ating) activated when anyone goes near the vending
machine as the motion sensor is activated. Not
In Malaysia, the Braille Vending Machine was only that, but the speed of the instruction was also
first introduced in November 2021. It is the result adjusted at a slower pace. Hence, visually impaired
of a collaboration between ATLAS Vending and persons could follow the instructions from start to
the Malaysia Association for the Blind (MAB), end.
also known as Persatuan Orang Buta Malaysia. The second feature is that this vending machine
These vending machines cater to visually impaired emits a LED light on the device to help visually
people in Malaysia. As shown in Picture 1, this type impaired people locate the correct button based

21 Vol. 01, Issue 3 | August 2022