[Electronics-talk] descriptive TV

Thu Dec 13 03:17:36 UTC 2012

I for one am getting tired of your negativity, and bad mouthing 
everything that is discussed here.  We don't live in a perfect world, 
and change doesn't come quickly or easily, but it does come.

The video communications act, or whatever it is called is less than a 
perfect law, and the complaint process is terrible, but it is a 
start.  Let's use it and see if we can bring about more change yet 
before we write off the whole thing.

Dave

At 09:51 AM 12/12/2012, you wrote:

>If this is true, then why does Time Warner, my cable provider, claim 
>that it knows nothing about any legal requirement to offer 
>accessible cable boxes? To be perfectly blunt, I think this law is a 
>big waste of time, and absolutely nothing will come of it.  So what 
>if the cable providers refuse to comply?  Are their executives going 
>to be arrested and prosecuted for violating the civil rights of 
>their disabled customers?  Of course not. Will the companies be 
>fined?  Maybe.  And if they're fined, they'll simply pass the cost 
>along to their customers in the form of higher monthly cable bills. 
>And we blind customers will still be unable to access described 
>programming. So file all the complaints you want with the FCC if it 
>makes you feel better, but you can be sure that the fat-ass 
>bureaucrats there will simply shrug them off.
>
>Gerald
>
>
>----- Original Message ----- From: "Larry Wayland" 
><larry.wayland at arkansas.gov>
>To: "'Discussion of accessible electronics and appliances'" 
><electronics-talk at nfbnet.org>
>Sent: Wednesday, December 12, 2012 9:50 AM
>Subject: Re: [Electronics-talk] descriptive TV
>
>
>>I believe it is the Twenty first century communications and 
>>video  act of 2010 that says formal complaints can be filed after 
>>October of 2013.  The law was signed by the president in August of 
>>2010 and companies have  two years from that time to get 
>>their  equipment in compliance.  My understanding the law includes 
>>all communications equipment. It doesn't mean all models a company 
>>produces has to be accessible, but they have to offer models that are.
>>Larry
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>-----Original Message-----
>>From: Electronics-talk [mailto:electronics-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] 
>>On Behalf Of Gerald Levy
>>Sent: Wednesday, December 12, 2012 6:12 AM
>>To: Discussion of accessible electronics and appliances
>>Subject: Re: [Electronics-talk] descriptive TV
>>
>>
>>So waht?  We still can't access this described programming because 
>>there is no way to navigate the onscreen menus of most cable boxes 
>>and digital TV's without sighted help to turn on the SAP channel 
>>that carries the descriptive audio. And most remote controls no 
>>longer have a dedicated SAP button, either.
>>
>>Gerald
>>
>>
>>----- Original Message -----
>>From: "A. Chew" <a1chew at hotmail.com>
>>To: "Discussion of accessible electronics and appliances"
>><electronics-talk at nfbnet.org>
>>Sent: Tuesday, December 11, 2012 9:58 PM
>>Subject: Re: [Electronics-talk] descriptive TV
>>
>>
>>>On August 25, 2011, the FCC was finally able to vote (unanimously) to
>>>reinstate video description, effective July 1, 2012.  ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC,
>>>USA, the Disney Channel, TNT, Nickelodeon, and TBS are each required to
>>>provide 50 hours of video-described prime time or children's programming
>>>per calendar quarter.
>>>
>>>full text may be found at below link
>>>http://www.acb.org/adp/tv.html
>>>
>>>at the bottom of the linked page will be links to file a complaint with
>>>the FCC.
>>>
>>>I was surprised to received a call from Comcast a few weeks after filing a
>>>complain.
>>>issue is still open... (not resolved)  but Comcast claims they are working
>>>on it....
>>>
>>>
>>>A. Chew
>>>
>>>.
>>>----- Original Message ----- From: "Ashley Bramlett" 
>>><bookwormahb at earthlink.net>
>>>To: "Discussion of accessible electronics and appliances"
>>><electronics-talk at nfbnet.org>
>>>Sent: Tuesday, December 11, 2012 6:05 PM
>>>Subject: Re: [Electronics-talk] descriptive TV
>>>
>>>
>>>>Hi all,
>>>>this is bad news. You're saying that time warner and
>>>>Comcast are not providing descriptive audio when its now the law.
>>>>I cannot speak for cox cable as I have not asked. But I suspect when I
>>>>do, they will have no clue.
>>>>what it is either.
>>>>
>>>>My parents can read the options on the screen and we never see
>>>>descriptive audio. So like
>>>>Mariea said, I suspect that descriptive tv doesn't exist either for me.
>>>>
>>>>If I cannot get it, is there a way to file a complaint with the FCC and
>>>>how?
>>>>Is there a way to download descriptive tv shows from online? even if its
>>>>paid, I'd like to have old shows.
>>>>
>>>>Ashley
>>>>
>>>>-----Original Message----- From: Mariea Harris
>>>>Sent: Tuesday, December 11, 2012 7:04 PM
>>>>To: Discussion of accessible electronics and appliances
>>>>Subject: Re: [Electronics-talk] descriptive TV
>>>>
>>>>Time Warner Cable doesn't support audio description either. When I read
>>>>up
>>>>on audio description, it said that cable companies use analog and that
>>>>satellite uses something else, but I forget what. It seems that the only
>>>>way
>>>>you can get audio description here in the states is via satellite TV. We
>>>>turned on SAP on our TV and nothing happens. I doubt Time Warner has any
>>>>clue what audio description is either, so I've not bothered asking.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>Mariea and Valiant
>>>>
>>>>
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>>>
>>>
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>>
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