[gui-talk] Fwd: more TV providers provide talking menus for blind subscribers

Jen spiderweb1 at sbcglobal.net
Wed Dec 28 17:37:17 UTC 2016 

And it makes us all human.

Ray, I agree with your point, but with cable accessibility, I think the
hammer is necessary here. Look at the situation in Brown v. Board of
Education; a Supreme Court case was needed to desegregate the schools, and
even then, it didn't happen as quickly as it should have.

-----Original Message-----
From: gui-talk [mailto:gui-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Doug Lee
via gui-talk
Sent: Wednesday, December 28, 2016 12:19 PM
To: Jen via gui-talk <gui-talk at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Doug Lee <dgl at dlee.org>
Subject: Re: [gui-talk] Fwd: more TV providers provide talking menus for
blind subscribers

You are right that different groups, which I call minorities here, have
different needs. This only makes my
point though: Each group must usually push for its specific needs, or they
get lost among all others because
the group is small compared to the larger whole.

In other words, there being 10 small groups with special needs does not make
them all stop being minorities.
It makes them each a separate minority with its own needs. We are one of
these.

On Wed, Dec 28, 2016 at 12:10:55PM -0500, Jen via gui-talk wrote:
Hi everyone,

This is a very enlightening discussion. In my opinion, it isn't a minority
thing, it's about universal accessibility. Everyone, blind or not, has their
own additional needs.

-----Original Message-----
From: gui-talk [mailto:gui-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Doug Lee
via gui-talk
Sent: Wednesday, December 28, 2016 11:42 AM
To: Mike Arrigo via gui-talk <gui-talk at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Doug Lee <dgl at dlee.org>
Subject: Re: [gui-talk] Fwd: more TV providers provide talking menus for
blind subscribers

"There is no difference between theory and practice, in theory; but there is
in practice." --anon

I agree with you in theory but, in practice, blind folks voting with dollars
is like pebbles voting against an avalanch in progress. Legislation really
is required to make things work for minorities sometimes, and we are one of
those minorities. Of course, I prefer persuasion over force as well.

On Wed, Dec 28, 2016 at 10:41:58AM -0500, Mike Arrigo via gui-talk wrote:
I actually agree with less government regulation, right now we have so much
regulation in this country that it's discouraging anyone from running
businesses here. I'm not just talking about telecommunication, but in
general.
The best thing to do is to get these companies to realize that blind people
are also consumers and that making their services accessible is the right
thing to do, in short, they should do this because they want to, not because
they have to. Of course, some companies will not do this no matter what, and
in that case, you vote with your dollar and take your business elsewhere.
Original message:

>Well, you can essentially kiss the Telecommunications Accessibility Act
>goodbye.  The current FCC Chairman, Tom Wheeler, whill be stepping down on
>Jan. 20, and his successor, appointed by the incoming president-elect is
>likely to favor less government regulationof the airwaves and minimal
>enforcement of FCC rules. So there will not be any pressure on the cable
>companies or TV manufacturers to make their products blind accessible.
>Anyone who believes otherwise is living in a dream world.  So unless your
>cable provider already offers accessible boxes, you will probably have a
>very long wait to get one.  Spectrum Cable, which has been bombarding local
>TV stations in New York City to introduce itself and proclaim ""a new day"
>for cable TV service, still has absolutely no plans to offer accessible
>boxes any time soon, and now there will be little pressure on them to do
so.

>Gerald



>-----Original Message-----
>From: David Andrews via gui-talk
>Sent: Tuesday, December 27, 2016 8:12 PM
>To: david.andrews at nfbnet.org
>Cc: David Andrews
>Subject: [gui-talk] Fwd: more TV providers provide talking menus for blind
>subscribers

>The area of accessible television is getting more
>activity of late -- this information may interest you.

>Dave





>>From: Ray Foret jr <rforet7706 at comcast.net>
>>Subject: more TV providors provide talking menus for blind subscribers
>>Date: Thu, 22 Dec 2016 02:50:28 -0600
>>To: David Andrews <dandrews at visi.com>

>>Greetings,
>>As we all know, the Federal Communications Commission has inacted the
>>Telecommunications act which requires provision for talking menu and or
>>talking guide structure for blind subscribers of TV providing services.
>>The first link is critically important for it leads to a FAQ sheet in
which
>>there is information for filing complaints if necessary:

>><https://www.fcc.gov/television-and-set-top-box-controls-menus-program-gui
des-factsheet>https://www.fcc.gov/television-and-set-top-box-controls-menus-
program-guides-factsheet


>>Following is a list of TV providers who now provide some kind of audio or
>>talking menu structure for blind subscribers.  Mostly, these providers
>>require that the subscriber have the top of the line DVR box for this to
>>work.  I must admit that I was quite surprised to see the TV satellite
>>companies on board.


>>Comcast:

>><http://www.comcast.com/accessibility>www.comcast.com/accessibility

>>Tivo:
>><https://www.tivo.com/accessibility>https://www.tivo.com/accessibility
>>Spectrum, (formerly Charter)
>><http://www.charter.net/support/accessibility/talking-guide-spectrum-guide
-support/>http://www.charter.net/support/accessibility/talking-guide-spectru
m-guide-support/
>>Direct TV:
>><https://support.directv.com/equipment/talking-guide-faq>https://support.d
irectv.com/equipment/talking-guide-faq
>>and Dish Network:
>><https://www.dish.com/accessibility/>https://www.dish.com/accessibility/
>>Verizon Fios:
>><http://www.verizon.com/about/accessibility/text-speech?pos=1>http://www.v
erizon.com/about/accessibility/text-speech?pos=1

>>Of course, Apple TV is accessible and that????????s always a plus too.



>>Sent from my Mac, The Only computer with full accessibility for the blind
>>built-in

>>Sincerely, The Constantly Barefooted Ray,

>>Still a very happy Comcast XFinity Voice Guidance, Mac, Verizon Wireless
>>iPhone7+ and Apple TV user!
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-- 
Doug Lee                 dgl at dlee.org                http://www.dlee.org
SSB BART Group           doug.lee at ssbbartgroup.com
http://www.ssbbartgroup.com
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-- 
Doug Lee                 dgl at dlee.org                http://www.dlee.org
SSB BART Group           doug.lee at ssbbartgroup.com
http://www.ssbbartgroup.com
"There are no guarantees.  From a standpoint of fear, none are
strong enough.  From a standpoint of love, none are necessary."
- from Emmanuel's Book II

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