Episode #40
Meet My Menu: Mmmm Tasty!!!
Episode Description Restaurant menus are supposed to tell you what you can eat. But when the website is inaccessible, the PDF won’t work with a screen reader, or there isn’t a braille menu available, something as simple as ordering dinner can turn into a guessing game. On this episode of Blind Level Tech, Evan talks with Avital “Avi” Drel, creator of Meet My Menu, a tool designed to give blind and low-vision diners a more independent way to access restaurant menus. Avi explains how conversations with blind users around the country revealed just how inconsistent menu accessibility can be, from inaccessible restaurant websites to screen readers forcing users through an entire menu from beginning to end. Meet My Menu combines accessible menu formatting with an AI voice agent that can answer natural questions about dishes, prices, ingredients, and other information pulled directly from the restaurant menu. For users who prefer not to use voice, menus can also be presented in a consistent structure designed to work with screen readers and braille displays, including headings and expandable sections. And restaurants may only be the beginning. Avi talks about expanding the same accessibility concept into conferences, theater programs, events, and other information that can be difficult to access independently. Guest Avital “Avi” Drel Creator of Meet My Menu Links Meet My Menu: meetmymenu.com Web App: app.meetmymenu.com (00:05) - — Welcome to Blind Level Tech (02:30) - — Avi’s technical and business background (04:12) - — Where the idea for Meet My Menu came from (05:06) - — Why restaurant menus remain an accessibility problem (07:08) - — Meet the AI waiter (09:30) - — Screen readers and braille displays (10:51) - — Creating one consistent accessible menu format (11:40) - — Expanding beyond restaurants (12:41) - — Is Meet My Menu free? (14:11) - — Where to find Meet My Menu (15:53) - — Closing thoughts ★ Support this podcast ★
