[Electronics-talk] question about Sirius XM Internet Radio

Tue Jan 10 15:13:44 UTC 2012

Hi,

The law is the Telecommunications Act of 1996, Section 255.

Shannon Cook, MSW

-----Original Message-----
From: electronics-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:electronics-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of David Andrews
Sent: Sunday, January 08, 2012 4:13 PM
To: Discussion of accessible electronics and appliances
Subject: Re: [Electronics-talk] question about Sirius XM Internet Radio

Chris:  Jude is not correct, section 508 has nothing to do with
this.  If anything applies -- and I am not sure how much it does, it
would be section 255 of the telecommunications act, and it wouldn't
cover the web site.

Dave

At 02:53 PM 1/8/2012, you wrote:
>Dave,
>
>OK, good.  So if what Jude explained about them being under Section
>508 is correct, then we can probably use that to get them to change
>their Web site.  Has the Federation done anything about this since
>we passed that resolution in 2010? By the way, you mentioned section
>225 of some other law (I can't remember what it was called.) What is
>the language in that law?
>
>Chris
>
>"The real problem of blindness is not the loss of eyesight.  The
>real problem is the misunderstanding and lack of education that
>exists.  If a blind person has the proper training and opportunity,
>blindness can be reduced to a mere physical nuisance."
>-- Kenneth Jernigan
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: David Andrews <dandrews at visi.com
>To: Discussion of accessible electronics and
>appliances<electronics-talk at nfbnet.org
>Date sent: Sun, 08 Jan 2012 13:24:53 -0600
>Subject: Re: [Electronics-talk] question about Sirius XM Internet Radio
>
>Chris, you are correct that they don't have control over content, but
>they do have some control, they allocate the frequencies that are used etc.
>
>Dave
>
>At 02:49 PM 1/6/2012, you wrote:
>I don't think the FCC would have any control over Sirius XM, as it
>is a private company that is subscriber-based, but don't quote me on
>that.  I think that's why Howard Stern and other Sirius XM hosts are
>able to speak on their shows without any kind of sensor or filter on
>their words.  * Smile!
>
>Chris
>
>"The real problem of blindness is not the loss of eyesight.  The
>real problem is the misunderstanding and lack of education that
>exists.  If a blind person has the proper training and opportunity,
>blindness can be reduced to a mere physical nuisance."
>-- Kenneth Jernigan
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: Jude DaShiell <jdashiel at shellworld.net
>To: Discussion of accessible electronics and
>appliances<electronics-talk at nfbnet.org
>Date sent: Wed, 4 Jan 2012 12:20:26 -0500 (EST)
>Subject: Re: [Electronics-talk] question about Sirius XM Internet Radio
>
>Please file an official complaint with the F.C.C.  and include Section 508
>violations in that complaint.  That will get attention.  I don't think
>jamal maxzrui is on this list, but he does work at the f.c.c.
>and is
>interested in things like this.On Tue, 3 Jan 2012, Brett Boyer wrote:
>
>Well don't hold your breath waiting for that.  It has been an ongoing problem
>and as far as I know even the iphone app which was somewhat accessible has
>changed since the update and now is almost completely nonaccessible.  I
>subscribed to sirius for Howard Stern and as soon as I found an online
>alternative and realized how difficult the sirius website was to
>navigate I
>unsubscribed.  When I talked to the people and explained why I was
>unsubscribing they had no clue what I was talking about and put bad reception
>as my reason of cancelation.
>bb
>Brett Boyer
>Audio Production and voice over
>http://brettboyer.voices.com
>Brett Boyer's Big Bag of Goodies!
>Check out my radio show at my new home:
>http://www.mushroomfm.com/brettboyer
>every Monday 5 o'clock eastern 2 o'clock pacific
>Listen to the Shroom live!
>http://listen.mushroomfm.com:8760/listen.pls
>----- Original Message ----- From: "Chris Nusbaum" <dotkid.nusbaum at gmail.com
>To: "Discussion of accessible electronics andappliances"
><electronics-talk at nfbnet.org
>Sent: Tuesday, January 03, 2012 4:48 PM
>Subject: Re: [Electronics-talk] question about Sirius XM Internet Radio
>
>
>I have the Starmate 5 receiver, and I agree with your friend that it is
>pretty usable, as has been said before.  However, there are some features to
>the radios which aren't available to us; reading the song title and artist,
>the channel name and number, and reading the call-in number for the channel
>you are listening to (if that channel has one,) as this information is
>displayed on the
>screen of the radio for sighted people.  All the on-screen menus and channel
>look-up features of the radio are also inaccessible.  There is a work-around
>to the channel lookup feature, which is to go to the program guide channel
>(channel 184 on Sirius) and listening for the channel name and number you
>want.  However, this isn't near as fast as it would be for sighted people to
>just look up the channel in the menu.  For example, one day I couldn't
>remember the channel number of a channel that I wanted to listen to, and
>went to the program guide channel, but had to wait for them to go through
>the whole programming lineup (probably a half an hour at least) just to hear
>the channel number for one channel, when I could have been listening to
>something far more interesting! Their Web site isn't accessible either, so
>they leave a lot to be desired for us, and when talking to tech support
>about this issue, it was as if I was talking to myself, as the guy was
>outsourced from India or somewhere and spoke very broken English.
>So he had
>no idea what I was talking about.  I really hope the NFB acts on that
>resolution from last year, if we haven't done so already, and I just didn't
>know about it.
>
>Chris
>
>"The real problem of blindness is not the loss of eyesight.  The real
>problem is the misunderstanding and lack of education that exists.  If a
>blind person has the proper training and opportunity, blindness can be
>reduced to a mere physical nuisance."
>-- Kenneth Jernigan
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "cheez" <cheez at cox.net
>To: "Discussion of accessible electronics and
>appliances"<electronics-talk at nfbnet.org
>Date sent: Mon, 2 Jan 2012 22:17:33 -0700
>Subject: Re: [Electronics-talk] question about Sirius XM Internet Radio
>
>A friend has the Starmate 4, bought at Radio Shack 4 years ago.
>He is total
>and says it's pretty friendly.
>Vince
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "David Andrews" <dandrews at visi.com
>To: "Discussion of accessible electronics and appliances"
><electronics-talk at nfbnet.org
>Sent: Monday, January 02, 2012 7:59 PM
>Subject: Re: [Electronics-talk] question about Sirius XM Internet Radio
>
>
>Most of the satellite radio receivers are usable, that is you can move
>from channel to channel, go directly to a channel, and the like.
>However
>many of the features of the radios are not available to us.
>Each channel
>gives its number and name, each song and band are named, and some
>receivers have features to group things by genre etc.  There also may be
>menu-based settings for tone etc., which are not accessible.  I do not
>know of any satellite radio that turns the info on the display screen of
>the unit into speech or Braille.
>
>So, as I say they are usable, but not completely accessible.
>
>Dave
>
>At 07:31 PM 1/2/2012, you wrote:
>The receivers themselves are pretty accessible, I was asking about
>Internet radio.
>
>Chris
>
>Merry Christmas and a happy and prosperous new year!
>
>"The real problem of blindness is not the loss of eyesight.  The real
>problem is the misunderstanding and lack of education that exists.  If a
>blind person has the proper training and opportunity, blindness can be
>reduced to a mere physical nuisance."
>-- Kenneth Jernigan (President, National Federation of the Blind,
>1968-1986
>
>The I C.A.N.  Foundation helps blind and visually impaired youth in
>Maryland say "I can," by empowering them through providing assistive
>technology and scholarships to camps and conventions which help them be
>equal with their sighted peers.  For more information about the Foundation
>and to support our work, visit us online at www.icanfoundation.info!
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "cheez" <cheez at cox.net
>To: "Discussion of accessible electronics and
>appliances"<electronics-talk at nfbnet.org
>Date sent: Mon, 2 Jan 2012 18:13:02 -0700
>Subject: Re: [Electronics-talk] question about Sirius XM Internet Radio
>
>At that time, I was told it was.  I don't know about now.
>The one thing I found annoying was, each time I signed in, I'd have to
>enter
>the code of a captcha.  And since I had no one sighted around to read it
>to
>me, That made me decide to forget it.  The verbal code never worked for me
>either.
>Again.  That was 3 years ago.  I haven't tried since so it may be
>different
>now.
>I have a friend that just got a sat radio for Christmas that is pretty
>accessible.  I'll ask him what the model is and share.
>Vince
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Chris Nusbaum" <dotkid.nusbaum at gmail.com
>To: "Discussion of accessible electronics andappliances"
><electronics-talk at nfbnet.org
>Sent: Monday, January 02, 2012 11:31 AM
>Subject: Re: [Electronics-talk] question about Sirius XM Internet Radio
>
>
>Hi Vince,
>
>So the app is accessible?
>
>Chris
>
>Merry Christmas and a happy and prosperous new year!
>
>"The real problem of blindness is not the loss of eyesight.  The real
>problem is the misunderstanding and lack of education that exists.  If a
>blind person has the proper training and opportunity, blindness can be
>reduced to a mere physical nuisance."
>-- Kenneth Jernigan (President, National Federation of the Blind,
>1968-1986
>
>The I C.A.N.  Foundation helps blind and visually impaired youth in
>Maryland say "I can," by empowering them through providing assistive
>technology and scholarships to camps and conventions which help them be
>equal with their sighted peers.  For more information about the Foundation
>and to support our work, visit us online at www.icanfoundation.info!
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "cheez" <cheez at cox.net
>To: "Discussion of accessible electronics and
>appliances"<electronics-talk at nfbnet.org
>Date sent: Mon, 2 Jan 2012 10:08:24 -0700
>Subject: Re: [Electronics-talk] question about Sirius XM Internet Radio
>
>I tried subscribing about 3 years ago and I had trouble getting it to work
>for me.  I was also disappointed when I found out that some shows weren't
>available online.  So I canceled and asked for a refund--which they said
>wasn't refundable.
>Hopefully they've changed.  I think most folks are using iPhones and other
>cellphones to listen to sat radio now.
>Vince
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "John Riehl" <realman02 at comcast.net
>To: "'Discussion of accessible electronics and appliances'"
><electronics-talk at nfbnet.org
>Sent: Monday, January 02, 2012 10:01 AM
>Subject: Re: [Electronics-talk] question about Sirius XM Internet Radio
>
>
>Chris, it's very nice to meet you.  Welcome to the list!
>I'm also interested in the question of XM on-line accessibility.
>
>I have never heard of Sirius XM Streamer, so I'd love to hear some
>comments
>on its accessibility.
>Again, welcome to the List, Chris -- and Happy New Year!
>  John
>
>John Riehl
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: electronics-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org
>[mailto:electronics-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Chris Nusbaum
>Sent: Sunday, January 01, 2012 1:54 PM
>To: electronics-talk at nfbnet.org
>Subject: [Electronics-talk] question about Sirius XM Internet Radio
>
>Hi everyone,
>
>First of all, I want to wish everyone on this list a very happy
>new year and say that I am new to this list! I'm 14 years old and
>am in 8th grade in public school here in Maryland.  You have
>probably seen me on other NFB lists, the NABS (National
>Association of Blind Students) or Blind Talk list, as I'm very
>active in the Federation.  With that said, I have a question
>about Sirius XM Internet radio and accessibility.  Has anyone
>found a work-around to using Sirius XM's online radio service
>with JAWS? It seems to be inaccessible to me, at least the one on
>siriusxm.com.  I have heard about a program called Sirius XM
>Streamer which makes the internet stream accessible.  But how
>does it work? Thanks for any help!

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December is Safer Toys and gift Month.  The South Carolina Commission for the Blind offer these tips when selecting toys for young kids: select toys appropriate for child's age, select toys that don't have sharp, projectile or protruding parts and check to make sure toys meet national safety requirements.