Fire TV adds Text Banner for visually impaired
August 18, 2020
Amazon has unveiled Text Banner for Fire TV, a new assistive technology designed for customers with a narrow field of vision, including eye conditions like macular degeneration, glaucoma, and retinitis pigmentosa.
Text Banner consolidates onscreen text into a compact, written banner that appears in a fixed location on the screen. The entire Fire TV user interface, Prime Video, and other applications work with Text Banner, making it easier for these customers to use the service.
Marc Powell, Strategic Accessibility Lead at RNIB, commented: “The accessibility of tech is changing the lives of blind and partially sighted people – giving a greater sense of freedom, increasing independence and breaking down barriers to create a more inclusive world. Amazon’s move to begin making its Fire TV platform more accessible for people with vision impairment is another powerful message of inclusivity to the industry and we hope to continue seeing accessibility improve as a trend across the technology sector in the years ahead.”