Category Archives: Self-Service News

ARTW #1: Pushing AR Further

This is the first issue of AR Tech World (ARTW). Welcome! AR Tech World is a digest of the most relevant tech news related to Augmented Reality and other related Immersive Technologies. I will be presenting an overview as well as my own commentary and analysis on features, specs, and viability. My g

Florida Hospital’s Centra Care used telemedicine during Irma to connect with patients

Waterlogged, under curfew or without power, consumers in need of routine health care were in a tough spot during the days immediately before and after Hurricane Irma’s arrival. Barring an emergency, landing before a physician was almost impossible.Some health providers used the opportunity to lean on telehealth services as a part of their disaster response. Often regarded as more of a luxury than a necessity, the service was offered free of charge statewide by Florida Hospital Centra

Agilysys Announces General Availability of New rGuest® Buy Self-Service Kiosk Capabilities for Café and Enhancements to Grab N Go

Agilysys, Inc. (Nasdaq: AGYS), a leading global provider of next-generation hospitality software solutions and services, today announced the general availability of innovative enhancements to rGuest® Buy, the company’s groundbreaking self-service kiosk POS solution that extends point-of-sale reach, improves guest service and reduces staff demand. The enhancements for Café workflows and a new Grab N Go guest experience are part of Agilysys’ continuing dramatic market penetration in food and beverage venues of all types as they move to self-service through guest facing kiosks.

Supreme Court Rejects Coca-Cola Case on Vending Machine ADA Compliance

The case, titled Magee v. Coca-Cola Refreshments USA, was brought by Emmett Magee, a blind man from Louisiana who invoked the ADA in suing Coca Cola because its glass-front vending machines made it impossible for him to know what product he was choosing and at what price. He was thwarted buying soda from vending machines at a hospital and a bus station.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit turned away his claim, ruling that vending machines are “not a physical place open to public access” and therefore don’t fit the definition of “public accommodations” that are required to abide by the ADA. It also said that the hospital and the bus stations were public accommodations and “may very well” bear some responsibility to make vending machines on their premises accessible to the disabled.

Fall River McDonald’s among first to get kiosk service

FALL RIVER — Fast food robots have arrived.
Self service ordering kiosks are in place and in use at the President Avenue McDonald’s.
They are the first in the area, but they won’t be the last.
Steve Easterbrook, the CEO of McDonald’s, announced a year ago that ordering kiosks would be installed in all 14,000 McDonald’s in the country. He promised the change would provide quicker and more comfortable service for patrons.
“McDonald’s is raising the bar on

Labor Law: Myths busted under the American with Disabilities Act

Here are some ADA myths busted:

Employers have to take the word of the employee: Employees who request reasonable accommodations can be required to provide medical documentation of the medical condition, the extent to which it impacts the employee’s major life activities and/or bodily functions, and what accommodations are necessary.

This medical documentation can be required before an accommodation is discussed. Most, but not all, medical conditions are considered disabilities under the ADA.

Only physical disabilities are covered by the ADA: The ADA covers both physical and mental disabilities, so individuals diagnosed with bipolar and depression illnesses most likely will be covered, as may those who suffer from learning disabilities such as Attention Deficit Disorder.

Reasonable accommodations include reducing job expectations: If an employee’s job requires that he or she make 15 widgets a day, it is not a reasonable accommodation to reduce the job requirements to, for example, 12 widgets a day as an accommodation.

The law only requires that employers provide sufficient accommodations so that the employee is able to meet the same job requirements as others in the job. The ADA doesn’t require reducing job expectations.

Reasonable accommodations include elimination of essential job duties: If Sally can no longer travel as a result of her job, the law does not require that Sally essentially take a light duty status and not fly as a reasonable accommodation.

If, despite accommodation efforts, Sally still is unable to travel due to an accommodation, she is no longer qualified for the job, and not eligible under the ADA.

If an employee can no longer perform the job duties due to a disability, the employee must be terminated: If an employee like Sally above can no longer perform her job despite reasonable accommodation efforts, the ADA requires that employers consider transferring the employee to a vacant and open position for which the employee is qualified before terminating the employee.

The EEOC, and some courts, take the position that if the employee is minimally qualified for the job, that the disabled employee must be offered the position as a reasonable accommodation, even jumping ahead of more qualified candidates. The job need only be a lateral transfer (not a promotion) and if the new job pays less than the previous one, the employee can receive an appropriate reduction in pay.

Employers can ask if a job applicant if he has a disability prior to making an offer: The ADA prohibits any disability-related questions prior to the issuance of a conditional offer of employment.

For example, it is legal to ask an employee, “Can you perform the essential functions of this job with or without reasonable accommodations.”

It is not legal to follow up by asking the candidate to select whether an accommodation will or will not be needed ahead of making a conditional offer.

It is legal to make disability related inquiries, however, if the candidate’s disabilities are obvious or the candidate tells the employer about his or her disability, but even in that situation the employer may only inquire about reasonable accommodations that might be necessary.

Leave under the ADA can be indefinite: The ADA does not require that an employer provide indefinite leave as an accommodation.

The medical documentation needs to identify the timeline for the leave so that the employer can fully assess whether it can provide reasonable accommodations.

The ADA and FMLA are totally separate: This is partially true in that they are two separate laws, but when an employee has a serious health condition and a disability, the FMLA and ADA will run concurrently, and the employee is entitled to receive whichever law provides the greatest benefit to the employee.

The ADA can be complicated, so employers are well advised to utilize the ADA resources provided at EEOC.gov to make sure that they don’t mistakenly fail to engage in the proper process of providing reasonable accommodations to employees.

CBP Adds Global Entry Enrollment on Arrival at 5 Int’l Airports (Video) – American Security Today

U.S. Customs and Border Protection launched Enrollment on Arrival at the following five international airports for conditionally-approved Global Entry applicants to complete their interview, the final step of the Global Entry enrollment process, while clearing CBP processing: George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) William P. Hobby Airport (HOU) Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) San Francisco International Airport (SFO) …