Accessibility
features in some TV’s
The first section of this page deals with
enabling
text to speech features (which is where text on the screen
is read out - such
as when you change channel numbers, information on the
current programme, changing
of the volume, reading out of the EPG, and going into the
TV settings etcetera).
What is read out may vary from manufacturer to
manufacturer depending on which
features are available (if any).
The latter section deals with what kind of
accessibility features to look out for, and tips for
finding out more about the
various TVs before you make a purchase.
Samsung
Smart TV
Menu button…System…Accessibility…Voice
guide…(Select voice guide)…On…
Provides:
·
Current channel number
·
Program name
·
EPG
·
Volume control
·
Voice guide speed control
·
Voice tone control
·
Voice guide details control
Sony
TV Bravia series
Settings >
Accessibility > Services > Talkback > ON/OFF
Panasonic
Smart Viera
Sound options in the Menu
and scrolled to the Voice
Guidance option. Not only can you select it as either On
or Off but you can
select the speed, volume and user level (beginner or
expert).
LG TV’s
If you are visually impaired or have low
vision, LGE products can help you control your device by
reading your screen as
well as providing a zoom function.
Magic
Zoom
You can use the remote control and the
zoom-up function in the device to make your screen easier
to see. Enlarges
parts of the TV screen by up to 500%
Audio
Guidance
Adjust the speed, volume, and pitch.
Ask others
for recommendations, look up user manuals and reviews,
and ask for instore
demonstrations (if available)
If you are looking at getting a new TV and
wondering if there are features built into it to do with
accessibility, then it
might be a good idea to look up the model of the TV that
you are looking at;
and download the user manual for it. That way, it might
also give you a brief
description of some of the features.
It might be a good idea to pop into a
retailer that sells TVs, and ask them to see if you can
have those features
demonstrated instore. It might even be a good idea to
contact the companies who
sell the product to retailers, and ask them the same
questions - as features
may change from model to model, and country to country.
Retailers may not even be aware of the
features that are now being built into smart TVs. There
may also be other companies
that might have these features built into the TV’s (for
example Sharp, Philips
and so on).
Accessibility
features to look for
When looking at the remote, are the keys well-spaced?
Does the remote have a feature where it teaches you the keys
of the remote when
it is turned on?
Does the remote have high colour contrast buttons, or keys of different shapes and sizes?
Are
there
tactile markers
on the most commonly
used keys?
A feature on the TV which will need to be
enabled is audio
description. It is
turned off by default. For more information on audio
description, please visit
the following page at http://www.accessibilitycentral.net/audio%20description.html
PLEASE NOTE: As shown in the LG model, there
may be other accessibility features built into other
brands of TVs that might
help you. Call into your local store, or visit the
manufacturers website online
to find out more about accessibility features built into
those TVs and what
those features do.
The first section of this page deals with
enabling
text to speech features (which is where text on the screen is
read out - such
as when you change channel numbers, information on the current
programme, changing
of the volume, reading out of the EPG, and going into the TV
settings etcetera).
What is read out may vary from manufacturer to manufacturer
depending on which
features are available (if any).
The latter section deals with what kind of
accessibility features to look out for, and tips for finding
out more about the
various TVs before you make a purchase.
Menu button…System…Accessibility…Voice
guide…(Select voice guide)…On…
Provides:
·
Current channel number
·
Program name
·
EPG
·
Volume control
·
Voice guide speed control
·
Voice tone control
·
Voice guide details control
Settings >
Accessibility > Services > Talkback > ON/OFF
Sound options in the Menu and
scrolled to the Voice
Guidance option. Not only can you select it as either On or
Off but you can
select the speed, volume and user level (beginner or expert).
If you are visually impaired or have low
vision, LGE products can help you control your device by
reading your screen as
well as providing a zoom function.
Magic
Zoom
You can use the remote control and the
zoom-up function in the device to make your screen easier to
see. Enlarges
parts of the TV screen by up to 500%
Audio
Guidance
Adjust the speed, volume, and pitch.
If you are looking at getting a new TV and
wondering if there are features built into it to do with
accessibility, then it
might be a good idea to look up the model of the TV that you
are looking at;
and download the user manual for it. That way, it might also
give you a brief
description of some of the features.
It might be a good idea to pop into a
retailer that sells TVs, and ask them to see if you can have
those features
demonstrated instore. It might even be a good idea to contact
the companies who
sell the product to retailers, and ask them the same questions
- as features
may change from model to model, and country to country.
Retailers may not even be aware of the
features that are now being built into smart TVs. There may
also be other companies
that might have these features built into the TV’s (for
example Sharp, Philips
and so on).
When looking at the remote, are the keys well-spaced?
Does the remote have a feature where it teaches you the keys
of the remote when
it is turned on?
Does the remote have high colour contrast buttons, or keys of different shapes and sizes?
Are
there tactile markers
on the most commonly
used keys?
A feature on the TV which will need to be
enabled is audio
description. It is
turned off by default. For more information on audio
description, please visit
the following page at http://www.accessibilitycentral.net/audio%20description.html
PLEASE NOTE: As shown in the LG model, there may be other accessibility features built into other brands of TVs that might help you. Call into your local store, or visit the manufacturers website online to find out more about accessibility features built into those TVs and what those features do.
Some of these products may be able to be
purchased online, and for some of these products you may have
to go into the shop.
You will need to check the availability of any items that you
are interested in.
If you discover items that a blind or vision
impaired person may be able to use, please feel free to email
me and let me know where you found the item. In some cases,
you may need to add minor adaptations to enable that item to
be independently used (for example labelling the start, stop
and power level buttons on a microwave and so on). The more
information we can get out there, the more that people will
hear about these products and be able to try them for
themselves.
http://www.magnamail.com
Magnamail have a variety of
eyesight related items amongst their many items for sale. The
following items are some that we have come across that we
think might be useful dependent upon your level of vision. Of
course for current product availability and pricing, please
contact Magnamail directly via their free phone number 0800
170 270 or via their website.
Electronic Talking Scales
(catalogue number J1048); Classic
Magnifying Glass (catalogue number N652); Magnifying Makeup Mirror (catalogue number
H1326); Large Display Clock
with weather - which is actually a talking time and
temperature clock (catalogue number VC11); Easy Read Calendar Clock (catalogue number
VC14); Large Print Bible King
James (catalogue number N608); Folded Lighted Magnifier (catalogue number
U152). Give Magnamail a call if you would like their latest
catalogue posted out to you! It is also a good idea to search
their website as products may change from to time. It is also
possible that not all products may be listed online!