McDonald’s to Reissue Braille Menus in U.S.

The success of a 6-year-old program aimed at its customers who are blind has prompted McDonald’s Corp. to reissue Braille menus to each of its 6,700 restaurants in the United States.

“This is the second round for us,” said Dick Starmann, McDonald’s corporate vice president. “Part of the reason is that because of our increased menu, the first Braille menu we did in 1979 is now outdated.”

The menus, manufactured by the American Printing House for the Blind in Louisville, Ky., are 8-by-10-inch plastic cards imprinted with the raised-point Braille writing.

The program is being expanded because of its success, Starmann said.

“The response has been 100% positive,” he said. “We’ve gotten some very nice letters from people who have used them or who have relatives that use them. They say it gives them a degree of independence they normally wouldn’t have in a restaurant.”