[Nfbmo] interesting items from blindbargains.com

[Fred Olver]

3. Comcast is Working On Making Television More Accessible 
Contrary to what many may think, watching TV is something that many blind people enjoy. At this point though, getting access to the program guide, or something like On Demand from Comcast is pretty much impossible. There are even more hours of audio described programming available then ever before, but in order to turn on that feature you have to go through a set of visual menus. Comcast has decided to address this problem, and they demonstrated their first talking cable TV interface today. According to an article from Comcast, "The ability to navigate the program guide as the interface speaks channel names and numbers, time slots, and program details empowers customers to explore all that Xfinity TV has to offer." The interface will even have a button on the remote that will turn on descriptive audio if it's available. The design is still a prototype, but Comcast hopes to have it available in the near future. 



4. AFB Asks you to Call on your Member's of Congress to Help Pass the Macy Act of 2013 
Education has continued to improve for children with disabilities, but there is still more that we can do. The American Foundation for the Blind is working on passing a bill that would increase accountability for special education programs that serve the visually impaired and provide better training for teachers that work with visually impaired students. AFB is naming June 27th Macy Day, and on that day they ask that you contact your members of congress to ask for their support. The link provided will take you to a page where you can sign a petition, access your congressmen's phone numbers, and even tweet your support.