[Electronics-talk] accessible TV shows and how do we fix ourTV's to get the audio?

Tue Jun 19 15:56:25 UTC 2012

Well, here's the big problem with filing complaints with the FCC.  Aside the 
fact that they are ineffective, the process involves completing a slew of 
paperwork, which, of course requires sighted assistance.  So if you don't 
happen to have sighted assistance on hand to help you fill out the 
appropriate forms, how are you gonna file a complaint?  Remember when the 
conversion from analog TV to digital TV was first proposed?  The blind 
advocacy groups filed complaints with the FCC contending that the change 
would be deleterious to blind consumers because they would no longer be able 
to receive the audio portion of the TV signla on simple, portable radios. 
And the new digital TV sets would not be accessible to blind users.  Did the 
FCC listen?  Of course not.  They went ahead and rammed this change down our 
throats anyway three years ago.  Today, we blind consumers are worse off 
with digital TV than we were with analog TV.  At least in the analog days, 
TV sets were somewhat less complicated and easier to use.  Today, digital TV 
is an accessibility  nightmare for most blind consumers.  So excuse me if I 
sound cynical about the FCC taking our complaints seriously.

Gerald

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Christopher Chaltain" <chaltain at gmail.com>
To: "Discussion of accessible electronics and appliances" 
<electronics-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Tuesday, June 19, 2012 10:50 AM
Subject: Re: [Electronics-talk] accessible TV shows and how do we fix 
ourTV's to get the audio?

>I guess I don't follow the plight of other disabilities as much as some,
> but my impression is that each disability has it's challenges, and I
> don't fee like we're getting ignored more than any other disability.
> Don't forget, we'll be able to take advantage of the Telecommunications
> Act as much as any other disability if we work with our advocacy groups
> or file our own complaints with our cable company and the FCC. I'd
> suggest that if people really feel this strongly about the plight of the
> blind that they join one of the advocacy groups and lend their voice to
> others to help improve things.
>
> On 18/06/12 23:08, cheez wrote:
>> Amen, Sista!
>> Vince
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jenny Keller" <jlperdue3 at gmail.com>
>> To: "Discussion of accessible electronics and appliances"
>> <electronics-talk at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Monday, June 18, 2012 7:23 PM
>> Subject: Re: [Electronics-talk] accessible TV shows and how do we fix
>> ourTV's to get the audio?
>>
>>
>>> You know,
>>>
>>> I'm coming into this conversation a little late in the game, and maybe
>>> it's not politically correct, but if it were the deaf, or someone in a
>>> wheelchair and they were getting screwed as bad as we are, and left
>>> out of as much stuff as we do, you know there would be a putty party
>>> on the national news and every local news from here to hell and back
>>> about it.
>>>
> >> Frankly, it really makes me furious about how much we get the shaft in
>>> this country.
>>>
>>> I know, we have it better than most countries, but equal access should
>>> be equal access to disabled services regardless of what disability you
>>> have.
>>>
>>> It has always felt to me, that in the good old United States, where
>>> all are supposed to be equal, blind people get the least amount of
>>> help and accessibility.
>>>
>>> I don't mean to ruffle any feathers, but that's just my opinion.
>>>
>>> Jenny
>>> On Jun 16, 2012, at 4:16 PM, Gerald Levy wrote:
>>>
>>>>
>>>> This whole situation is a real mess.  So the networks are going to
>>>> increase the number of prime time hours dedicated to audio described
>>>> programming. But if you are blind and you have cable TV or one of the
>>>> satellite providers, this is of little consolation because there is
>>>> no way to access the SAP channel unless you have sighted help to
>>>> navigate the onscreen menus of the converter box to turn it on or
>>>> off.  Presently, none of the cable or satellite providers has any
>>>> plans to offer accessible converter boxes, so once again, we blind
>>>> consumers are getting screwed over while the advocacy groups pat
>>>> themselves on the backs for increasing the amount of available audio
>>>> described programming. Imagine if the deaf had to rely strictly on
>>>> audible clues to turn the closed caption decoder on or off.  You can
>>>> bet their advocacy groups would scream bloody murder to the FCC.
>>>>
>>>> Gerald
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Gerald
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jenny Keller" <jlperdue3 at gmail.com>
>>>> To: "Discussion of accessible electronics and appliances"
>>>> <electronics-talk at nfbnet.org>
>>>> Sent: Saturday, June 16, 2012 4:55 PM
>>>> Subject: [Electronics-talk] accessible TV shows and how do we fix our
>>>> TV's to get the audio?
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> As the subject says.  Most of the TV's menus are not accessible, so
>>>>> how will we get our TV's to the proper settings?
>>>>>
>>>>> If it is the SAP thing, you can't leave that on all the time,
>>>>> because if it's not available in audio description, it turns in to
>>>>> the spanish option.  besides, again, you can't access the menus by
>>>>> sight it you don't have any.
>>>>>
>>>>> also, the article said that there would be symbols and sounds, well,
>>>>> the symbols is a stupid idea cause if you are blind, and/or visually
>>>>> impaired, how will you see the symbols?  that's kind of stupid in my
>>>>> opinion, the symbols thing.
>>>>>
>>>>> Sounds like they have a lot of bugs to get out before July first,
>>>>> and I've seen nothing on the networks saying anything about that,
>>>>> and believe me, I'm a TV junky.
>>>>>
>>>>> JMO,
>>>>>
>>>>> Jenny
>>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
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>>>
>>>
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>>
>>
>>
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>
>
> -- 
> Christopher (CJ)
> chaltain at Gmail
>
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