[NJTechDiv] Accessible cable TV

[Beatrice Oliveti]

Hi Lori, yah, my box had voice guidance as of March. I disconnected cable because it was too expensive! 
Warm Regards, 
Beatrice Oliveti 
National Federation Of The Blind 
Of NJ. Northeast Chapter 
Vice-President 
National Federation Of The Blind Of NJ. Braille Group Co-Facilitator 
Bayonne, NJ.  Lions Club Administrator 
Cell: 2019838124 
Email: beatrice.oliveti at gmail.com 

> On May 18, 2026, at 11:02 AM, Lori Falk via NJTechDiv <njtechdiv at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> 
> Good morning,
> 
> We have a optimum cable box that was replaced just a few years ago and you can use the speak button on the remote to say turn on voice guidance if I remember correctly. 
> At that point, you can then arrow aroundfor the menus and I know we turned on audio description.
> Unfortunately, my husband turns off all the voice guidance features on the TVs and one TV has the audio description turned on and it just stays on.
> 
> Sorry if this is not what you were looking for but I do hope it’s helpful.
> 
> 
>>> On May 18, 2026, at 9:16 AM, Tracy Carcione via NJTechDiv <njtechdiv at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>> 
>> 
>> For a long time, we had software on our Optimum cable box that would announce the channel and what was playing, and I could also use it to access the DVR.
>> Optimum doesn’t support it anymore, and their new cable box doesn’t have any accessibility at all.
>> They think that maybe a smart TV would have it, but I don’t know.
>> If I buy a smart TV, and turn on Talkback or whatever it has, will it tell me what’s playing on a channel and have ways to access the DVR?
>> For instance, I was able to move through the shows on a channel until I found the one I wanted to record, then hit record.  Later, I could go into the DVR, scroll through the recordings, find the one I wanted, watch it, then go through the menu to either keep it or delete it.  Imagine that.  Can I get those same features on a smart TV?
>> I have 0 interest in using Alexa.
>>  
>> It’s extremely annoying that Optimum had accessibility, and then just ditched it completely.
>> Tracy
>>  
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