Category: the Rant Board
Hi all. I'm sure I'm not the only one that feels the same way but what do you think about some of the stuff on tv lacking accessibility. For example CBS is doing a daytime dollars contest. To join the contest you have to register on this website and then you are given a code, well the only problem with this is when they announce the winning code for that day they just flash it up on the screen. This means unless someone is there in the house helping you it would do us no good to register for that contest because we'd never see the code. Another thing is that tv stations will say like call the number shown on the screen, or there use to be a station back where I use to live that would play music in the background and just show the advertisements on the screen. Also I've noticed a change here but with the weather channel they use to say here's the forcast for your area and show the weather on the screen, but now I see they are actually reading it out loud. Does anyone else here experience this frustration?
Troy
Yeah. It's messed up when they say "Call the number on your screen" and don't read it. It's like, "OK? What if I'm actually interested in that product and want to call it? But how can I if I can't see it?" Sure, I can maybe look it up on the Internet, but what about the ones who don't have access to the Internet? I guess they could write the info down and wait or contact a sighted person, but it would be much better if they would just read the number in the first place. But with that contest, that probably wouldn't work unless they knew for sure of a sighted person who would be watching that same channel at the same time. Also, Mom's told me that on this certain channel, they would have class reunions of schools who have graduated, but how would a blind person know, if interested, which schools they were? Again, many blind people have internet, but many probably don't and live alone as well. I still think, if possible, it would be neat to have some kind of screen reader and/or refreshable Braille display, that could maybe be hooked up to the TV and would read off Text appearing on the screen. It would not have to be linked to any specific stations or networks I don't think, but it could just be like a regular screen reader. Or actually, it could be set up with where you are and what station thing your running, like what has to be entered when looking online at a TV Guide thing. For example, mine might be San Antonio,, Time Warner, and Basic Cable or something like that. You could call to have that programmed in or it might speak and display where you can set it up, or a sighted person could help with just that. And after that, the screen would be read! Man, that would be really cool, I hope that could actually be done one day. *smile*
Wow! My last post on here actually got me thinking, and I did a Google search for "accessible TV, blind", and found something called a-TV, which sounds like a good start! If y'all want to check it out, it's at http://www.atv-survey.org.uk/. All I can say is I hope it works out, as I think they're creating this and it's not for sale yet. *smile*
Oh yes. I know exactly how frustrated and irritated you are. I feel the same way! It aggravates me sometimes. I also noticed that the weather channel finally speaks the weather, instead of just showing it. But, like you guys mentioned about TV channels showing numbers, and not saying them aloud, etc. that sort of thing can be so aggravating. And, what about the TV guide channel? I mean, I dont' watch TV that often, but suppose a blind person wanted to check out what was on TV. They couldn't turn on the TV guide channel and read it like sighted people can.
A braille display for the tv sounds like a great idea!
Troy
I experience this often. Now I listen to XM and use the Internet. I watch next to 0 TV.
If you want to complain about the inaccessibility of TV for the blind, call the number on your screen now! Operators are sleeping by, I mean standing by.
Yes, tv is becoming more and more visual oriented.
It's a pain when the tv guide is on the screen, and one who is blind can't read it.
I did the survey
I know how annoying it is! I'll be living alone, and my parents won't be around forever, so something's got to make tv more accessible!
Well, a good way to get tv listings is a personalized search engine. I use excite.com, but they're other ones.
One thing that helps is descriptive videos. There is a descriptive video service (dvs) which has videos that ar described. It helps. Also, descriptive video is availible in movie theaters. You will need to check your local theater to see if they have it.