Amazon Fire TV Touts New Accessibility Feature for Vision Impaired

By Daniel Frankel
published

Text banner more easily highlights program info for users with narrow fields of vision

(Image credit: Amazon)

Amazon has announced a new accessibility feature for its Fire TV connected TV platform that makes it easier for the vision-impaired to read program information.

The new Text Banner feature consolidates onscreen text into a compact banner that appears in a fixed location on the screen. 

The full Fire TV interface, as well as the Amazon Prime Video UI, now support Text Banner, Amazon said. 

This assistive technology is aimed for users for conditions including macular degeneration, glaucoma and retinitis pigmentosa, which limit affected users’ field of vision. It’s part of a range of accessibility features Amazon has already deployed for impaired users. 

Daniel Frankel
Daniel Frankel

Daniel Frankel is the managing editor of Next TV, an internet publishing vertical focused on the business of video streaming. A Los Angeles-based writer and editor who has covered the media and technology industries for more than two decades, Daniel has worked on staff for publications including E! Online, Electronic Media, Mediaweek, Variety, paidContent and GigaOm. You can start living a healthier life with greater wealth and prosperity by following Daniel on Twitter today!