[Electronics-Talk] digital TV Accessibility

[David Goldfield]

First, I will say, in the interest of full disclosure, that I am a 
Comcast employee.
I'm quite pleased at the level of accessibility in Comcast's products. 
Before I provide some examples I need to respectfully say that, due to 
time constraints, I am not able to answer questions or provide one on 
one support regarding Xfinity products and services as well as other 
technologies. Asking questions publicly on this list is fine provided 
that it conforms to list guidelines and, when my time allows, I'll do my 
best to address questions which may be asked on this list. Again, I 
cannot address inquiries if they are sent privately.

Here are some examples of some of Comcast's accomplishments as they 
relate to accessibility.

1. The X1 platform, which is the operating system for the newer set-top 
boxes, includes Voice Guidance, for reading screens such as menus, the 
program guide, accessing the DVR, etc.
2. With the voice remote you can speak commands, such as "Voice 
Guidance" to turn Voice Guidance on or off, or "shows with video 
description" or "shows with audio description" to get a list of TV shows 
with audio description. You can also say "audio description" or "closed 
captions" to turn these features on or off.
3. Watching TV on the Web with the Xfinity Stream app 
<www.xfinity.com/stream>is very accessible with screen readers.
4. The mobile version of the Xfinity Stream app is also accessible.
5. The TV Remote app for iOS and Android is also very accessible with 
both Talkback and VoiceOver. This allows you to use your phone or tablet 
as a remote to control your X1 device.
6. The Accessible Remote Web app 
<https://accrem.apps.cloud.comcast.net/>is very accessible with not only 
screen readers but also works with eyegaze technology for those who need 
to control their computer with their eyes. It allows you to use your 
computer as a remote to control the X1 box on your TV.
     7. The Xfinity Home app is also very accessible for controlling 
home security devices, such as compatible cameras, thermostats, motion 
sensors, etc. This is for customers who subscribe to the Xfinity Home 
<https://www.xfinity.com/learn/home-security>service for home security 
and monitoring.


David Goldfield,
Blindness Assistive Technology Specialist
JAWS Certified, 2019

WWW.DavidGoldfield.org

On 10/23/2020 8:15 PM, Leslie Fairall via Electronics-Talk wrote:
> Which TV service do you think has the best accessibility? It's hard to 
> know since these companies have a monopoly in a certain area. You only 
> have two choices, no matter where you go.
>
>