Updates

December 2025

MENU IMPROVEMENTS

As we worked on our new free version of Menus4ALL this fall, we wanted to make menu creation faster and bring back features we loved but lost when the Apple App was discontinued. The database we initially tested with in August was too slow and tricky to update, so we set up another test site. The new version you’re using now has a faster database and quicker page loading times.

We launched this new site in late November with some awesome enhancements we hope you’ll love:

Smart Current Menu Display

Automatically displays an accessible menu when your phone or tablet detects you're in a restaurant—if their menu is in our database. Snap time and Haptic vibration as menu starts to load.

Basic Search Options

  • Nearby Search – Find menus within 10 miles of your location
  • Search by zip code, address, or restaurant name
  • Favorites – Save your preferred restaurants for quick access

Restaurant Details

  • Average meal price range
  • Cuisine type
  • Dietary tags (Vegan, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)

Menu Pages Template

  • Built with accessibility first
  • Search by food item or price range
  • Dietary tags at the individual food item level
  • Every menu works the same way
  • Menu updated every 3 months. Date of last update at the bottom of each menu.

Global Features

  • Text enlargement controls at the top of all pages
  • Web App – Download website to your device and open it from your home screen like an app

Location Services

Geolocation is required for Nearby Search and Smart Current Menu Display features.

BLIND TRAVEL SUMMIT PARTNERSHIP

We continued to test the summer / fall Menus4ALL version in November. One exciting way was by working with the Blind Travel Summit. We provided 16 menus in the downtown Austin area for attendees. Everything from coffee bars to fine dining establishments with lengthly wine lists. And they seem to love it! Our site traffic in November was crazy.

FUNDING

On the financial side, we’re getting ready to apply for a Delta Gamma grant to hire staff for menu building and maintenance as we grow.

EASY WAY TO HELP

One way you can help is by requesting menus. Honestly, we need to show this service will be used. There is a requst form on all pages of the site.

We’re committed to providing Menus4ALL free to restaurant diners. Stay tuned!

October 2025

Menus4ALL October Update – We're Growing!

Legal Update – Menus4ALL officially became the registered name for our parent organization, Modern Technology for the Blind, 501(c)(3) nonprofit, as of October 1, 2025.

What an exciting month for Menus4ALL! We’re thrilled to share that 700 menus have been viewed as more of you discover and share the joy of accessible dining. Our community is growing, and we now feature 90 restaurant menus – making dining out easier and more enjoyable for everyone!

New Cities, New Possibilities! We’re expanding to even more communities! This month, we’ve added delicious dining options in:

  • Austin, Texas
  • Columbia, South Carolina
  • Miami, Florida
  • New York City, New York

Even Better Accessibility Features! We’re always listening and improving. Since Apple’s text enlargement wasn’t working perfectly on webpages, we created our own custom on-screen text enlargement feature – now available at the top of every screen! Our text is already larger than most sites, but if you need it even bigger, you’ve got it.

Low Vision Pro tip: When using the larger text option on your phone, try turning it horizontal for an even better viewing experience!

Requesting Menus Is Now Easier! We’ve added a dedicated menu request page to our site navigation, making it simple to suggest your favorite restaurants.

Any Restaurant, Anywhere!

  • All restaurants welcome – We’re not limited to sit-down restaurants. Fast casual, fine dining, cafes – if they have an online menu, we can add it!
  • Global reach – We’re not just for U.S. restaurants! We welcome menus from anywhere in the world (currently supporting English menus or English translations). Planning a trip request menus before you leave.

Menu Map and Phone Links: Now you can open any restaurant location directly in Google Maps. Tap to call link to dial the restaurant’s phone right form each menu as well.

Thank you for being part of our community and helping us spread the word. Together, we’re making dining out accessible for ALL!

September 2025

The Real Deal on Menus4ALL 2.0 (No Sugarcoating Here!)

Well, well, well – look who’s been busy! We’ve actually got 29 real menus from the US, Canada, and the UK live on our site now. Thanks to all of you who submitted menus and feedback in August. Keep submitting menus and feedback

Let’s be honest – this test has been a bit of a rollercoaster. We’ve hit some walls, celebrated some wins, and learned a lot of XML, PHP and JS basics. But here’s the kicker: we managed to process 50% the PDF menus submitted. Honestly? We’re shocked this worked at all. And our menu generation & updates workflows and times are improving weekly.

Plot twist: AI turned out to be our secret weapon, saving us thousands in development costs. Who knew robots could be such good coding buddies? Sometimes you just have to embrace the chaos.

On the business side, our board voted to research moving this whole operation to our US charity arm, Modern Technology for the Blind 501(c)(3). Big moves happening over here – research starts this week. Hoping this will open up funding options. Let’s be real: if we cannot find funding, this test will fail. Stay tuned!

Now comes the real test: getting additional actual humans to use this thing. We’re planning to unleash our menus on unsuspecting folks in Boston-Watertown (hello, Perkins area) and a couple of NYC apartment buildings. Time to see if this actually works in the wild.

Think you can help us figure this out? Helen’s waiting for your brilliant ideas at [email protected]. Fair warning: she might put you to work.

Still making restaurants accessible, one menu at a time,
Helen and Stephanie (well caffeinated & cautiously optimistic)

August 2025

Testing a Menus4ALL 2.0 Comeback

Closing down Menus4ALL July of 2024 just broke our hearts. But our hope was as technology matured we might find a way to bring back our accessible restaurant menu service.

This summer we started testing a Free website version on Menus4ALL. If the testing is successful you will be able to have free accessible menus you can use with Apple or Android phones, tablets and laptops.

The gotta is we need you to suggest menus to add to the site. We will add suggested menus and update them periodically. The only requirements are a restaurant must have a website and the menu in text on the site. Not a image of the menu or a PDF. We can confirm these requirements. All we need is the full street address and restaurant name.

Then not only you but anyone on the planet using our website can use the accessible menus you and others suggest. No cost to you to add accessible menus.

You in? Hope so. September 2025 we hope to be ready for your restaurant submissions. Hang tight for now.

Ours mom always said “Where there is a will, there is a way”.

Thanks for supporting Menus4ALL,
Helen and Stephanie