[Electronics-talk] descriptive TV

Fri Dec 14 18:06:47 UTC 2012

The problem is that we blind consumers do not have one unified voice that 
represents us.  The so-called blindness advocacy groups are fragmented and 
spend more time sniping at each other and squabbling among themselves than 
fighting for meaningful changes.  Why has  the hearing impaired community 
been successful getting broadcasters to carry so much closed captioned 
programming?  Because they have one unified voice that represents most of 
their interests, not a bunch of groups fighting with each other. The 
blindness groups can't even agree on which programs should be audio 
described or what kind of standards should be established for developing 
accessible TV's and set-top boxes.  No wonder the FCC was able to ram 
through the conversion to digital TV in 2009 witgh nary a wimper of protest 
from the groups that are supposed to be looking after our best interests.

Gerald

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ashley Bramlett" <bookwormahb at earthlink.net>
To: "Discussion of accessible electronics and appliances" 
<electronics-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Friday, December 14, 2012 11:54 AM
Subject: Re: [Electronics-talk] descriptive TV

> Gerald,
> Unfortunately, most cable providers are clueless because
> there are not enough blind people demandding the law be inforced and 
> getting described tv as a good business practice.
>
> Does anyone have cox and use audio description? I have no clue how to use 
> audio description; I could get it turned on for me but we have to know 
> what to look for.
> Also the provider has to provide it too!
> As a illustration, blind people I talked to in person in nfb said they 
> don't bother with audio description and could not answer my questions 
> about procuring i t via tv.
> So if we don't use the service as a group, and we are already a minority, 
> what can we expect?
>
> Now, I was hoping there was somewhere where  I might download descriptive 
> tv shows online.
> I guess that isn't possible.
>
> Ashley
>
>
> -----Original Message----- 
> From: Gerald Levy
> Sent: Wednesday, December 12, 2012 10:51 AM
> To: Discussion of accessible electronics and appliances
> Subject: Re: [Electronics-talk] descriptive TV
>
>
> 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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>
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