Appetite For Accessibility August

We all need to eat, and we all need access to information and tools. From package directions and recipes to apps for grocery shopping and food ordering, lack of non-visual accessibility to information and tools can create barriers for us. This month, we share non-visually accessible tools and explore applications to break down those barriers so that we may satiate our Appetites for Accessibility!

• August 6: Accessing Food Package Information
• August 13: Grocery Shopping Apps – What’s Out There and How To Use Them
• August 20: Recipe Websites – What’s Out There and How Useful Are They?
• August 27: Food Order Apps – What’s Out There and How To Use Them

Food Delivery Apps

Gone are the days when we were limited to a few pizza places and could only order our food via phone call. Gone also are the days when a person must have a car to get their favorite food to eat at home.

Perhaps no one wants to drive to pick up the food. Perhaps you are bored of the same options at the school dining hall. Perhaps you want to have a few friends over and enjoy some good cuisine.

Whatever the case may be, food delivery apps and websites have emerged over the last few years, and they allow you to get food from restaurants nearby without worrying about traveling. Knowing about food delivery apps and websites empowers you to utilize accessible tools to place orders and have them delivered right to your door!

Examples of Food Delivery Ordering Services

There are three main food delivery companies that you can either use via the company‘s website online or via an app on your smartphone: DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub. Note: each of these services offers delivery for non-food items – including clothes and more. Each service also offers a subscription service: for a monthly or annual fee, there will be no delivery fee for each purchase that meets a minimum amount (however, other fees, including service fees, may still be charged).

DoorDash

DoorDash provides a platform on which to order food from restaurants in our communities.

Bridges’ review of the DoorDash iOS app

When we first recorded our video demonstrating the DoorDash app, we found the app quite easy to navigate with VoiceOver. However, as Chris’s update shows, any accessibility review can only work from the best information we have at the time; one update can make or break accessibility.

So, as of this writing, we would rate DoorDash as having mixed accessibility. Though most buttons are labeled and we can navigate to the parts of the app we need to choose, order, and pay for our delivery, recent changes have made important tasks (particularly reading a restaurant’s menu and reading or getting past recommended items) difficult. We hope DoorDash will fix these bugs and make the app as usable as it once was. In the meantime, there are workarounds, as Chris explains in his video.

Check out Chris and Marie’s demonstration of DoorDash.

Go to our YouTube channel and join Chris and Marie as they take a deep dive into the DoorDash iOS app: Bridges’ DoorDash Accessibility Video Review link.

Download DoorDash from the Apple App store to check it out, or go explore the DoorDash website or the DoorDash app at the Google Play App Store. Find out more about DoorDash’s free delivery subscription service on the DashPass frequently-asked questions web page.

Update of DoorDash iOS breaks accessibility PLUS workarounds

Just this month, an update to the DoorDash iOS app has BROKEN accessibility on the app. Bridges Project Coordinator Chris Nusbaum alerts us to accessibility problems resulting from a recent DoorDash app update. Join him as he explains the problems and shows alternative methods of using the app in his Food Order Apps Accessibility Review: UPDATED DoorDash Review on the Bridges YouTube channel.

Uber Eats

When we crave our favorite restaurant food, we can go there in an Uber or we can order food delivery from Uber Eats.

Bridges’ review of the Uber Eats iOS app

We found the Uber Eats app to be very user-friendly and easy to navigate. Though the home screen may take some getting used to, once a restaurant is chosen, the navigation is very straightforward.

It is also worth noting that Uber Eats frequently updates us on the progress of our order, even in the iPhone’s lock screen. DoorDash does this too, though DoorDash doesn’t have as many notifications.

In Chris’s opinion, Uber Eats’ frequent popup offers to try Uber One, Uber Eats’ subscription service, which sometimes get in the way of the ordering process, detract from the usability of Uber Eats.

Check out Chris’ demonstration of Uber Eats.

Go to our YouTube channel and join Chris as he orders dinner with the Uber Eats iOS app: Bridges’ Uber Eats Accessibility Video Review link.

Download Uber Eats from the Apple App store to check it out, or go explore the Uber Eats website or the Uber Eats app at the Google Play App Store. Uber’s free delivery subscription includes discounts on Uber rides and more; find out more about Uber Eats’ free delivery subscription service on the Uber One web page.

Accessibility verdict: DoorDash versus Uber Eats

As of this writing, we would say that Uber Eats is the more user-friendly of the two. However, Chris still has both apps on his phone. This is mostly because there are some restaurants that are on DoorDash, but not on Uber Eats. Having both apps allows for more choices. Similarly, sometimes there are differences in service and delivery fees between the apps.

Grubhub

In most places, Grubhub is less-used than either DoorDash or Uber Eats, so we have not recorded a Bridges Grubhub Accessibility Video Review. Nevertheless, Grubhub operates in many cities, so we include information about it here. Order from Grubhub by going to the Grubhub website, or get the Grubhub app at the Apple App Store or the Grubhub app at the Google Play App Store.

Find out more about Grubhub’s free delivery subscription service on the Grubhub+ web page.

Restaurant websites and apps

In addition, many restaurants now have their own websites on which you may place food orders. Often placing your order through the restaurant’s specific app or website can help cut down on cost. However, many if these restaurant-specific apps and websites contain accessibility barriers. As always, please reach out to us at the Bridges Helpdesk for assistance.

Tips on Using Food Delivery Apps and Websites

Ordering food costs money.

Not only do customers have to pay for their meals, but they also have to pay delivery and service fees as well as tip the driver. Be sure to double-check your total before placing your order and stay on budget!

Communicate with your driver in the app

Whether you plan to meet the driver outside or would prefer that they leave your food at the door for you to get at your convenience, most delivery apps offer a notes section in which you can enter delivery instructions if you have something specific you would like to communicate to the delivery driver.

Consider pick-up

Most delivery apps and websites offer pickup options in addition to delivery options. If you are taking a ride home from somewhere, you could always place a pickup order and grab it on your way to where you are going, or take a walk to get your order if the restaurant is close by.

Accessibility varies – be prepared

From time to time, our staff has noticed that small parts of delivery apps can become inaccessible, just like any other app as it goes through updates.

We have noticed that occasionally the Uber Eats change address feature is not accessible. There was also a time when the Grubhub option to add an item to the cart was not accessible.

These accessibility glitches are usually fixed in the next app update release. Even so, if you experience any accessibility issues with any product, we encourage you to submit your concerns to the company and advocate.

If you want support to do so, feel free to contact the Bridges Helpdesk and we will be happy to assist you.

Reach Out to Us at the Free Bridges Helpdesk anytime!

Please check out the Bridges Technical Assistance Center Resource Library today!

Contact us

Follow the Bridges Helpdesk Facebook page for more transition tips, and please contact the Bridges Technical Assistance Center’s Free Helpdesk for Maryland Blind/Low Vision Transition Students, Families, and Educators anytime using:

• Our Accessible web form
• Email: Helpdesk@IMAGEmd.org
• Text or Leave a Voice mail message: (410) 357-1546
• Bridges Helpdesk Facebook page or Facebook Messenger

This unique project is being coordinated through The IMAGE Center of Maryland, a center for independent living in Towson, and it is funded by a grant from the Maryland Department of Education Division of Special Education/Early Intervention Services.