Well I got sky pluss around 2 weeks ago and find it very usable with a bit of imagination and learning. Actually I've enjoyed more TV programs in the last few weeks becasue I can reliably record them.
A fantastic piece of kit in my humble view. Terry Clasper. MSM: terry.clasper@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx Skype: terryclasper Private E-Mail: terry.clasper@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx Work E-Mail: terry.clasper@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx----- Original Message ----- From: "martin wilsher" <m.wilsher@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Sunday, November 16, 2008 5:40 PM Subject: [access-uk] Re: FW: A letter I wrote to sky.
HI Jackie: I do not understand your reference to k alan, but guess this person wassomeone to do with sky. And while I agree with you here in part re the digi box, if blind people do not face the challenges of inaccessible services andflag up the inaccessibility, they will be left behind in the digital revolution. I believe using sky plus to the best of our abilities and flagging inaccessible parts of this service will force sky to do something about it in the end. Though I completely understand your standpoint ttoo.-----Original Message-----From: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf OfJackie Cairns Sent: 16 November 2008 17:18 To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [access-uk] Re: FW: A letter I wrote to sky. Hi Martin Firstly, it's why I won't buy a Sky Plus box to replace my eight-year-old original Digibox, because I can't access the facilities the Plus offers. Secondly, bring back Kay Allen. She was excellent, even if she couldn't implement everything we'd like to see happen. Jackie Cairns Braille Support Adviser Email: jackie.cairns@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Sight and Sound Technology Welton House North Wing Summerhouse Road Moulton Park Northampton NN3 6WD Tel: 01604 798024 Web: www.sightandsound.co.uk -----Original Message-----From: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Ofmartin wilsher Sent: 16 November 2008 16:04 To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [access-uk] FW: A letter I wrote to sky. -----Original Message----- From: martin wilsher [mailto:m.wilsher@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx] Sent: 16 November 2008 12:45 To: 'access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx' Subject: A letter I wrote to sky. HI all. Having just got sky plus installed, I have had no end of issues with the remote record service, so this, along with other issues I found, prompted me to write the following letter to sky which I enclose for your discussion. "Dear Sir/Madam: My Name is Martin Wilsher. Having recently upgraded to sky plus in an attempt to enhance my sky experience, I am generally impressed with the operation of the sky plus system. Though, as one of your disabled customers, I am totally blind, meaning I cannot see the sky EPG to operate the system properly, I need to find alternative methods of programming the box to my liking. Now, to this end I use accessible sky TV listings, and would use remote record, but this is broken, so I cannot use the service, even though I am subscribed to use it. the only way I can control the boxis to send texts at twenty five pence per time from my mobile phone, this is excluding network charges, so in the two days I've been using this system Ihave unbilled usage of £10 excluding VAT on my mobile bill due to controlling the sky box. I have spoken to accessible customer servicesregarding this matter, and that of the remote record, so I will not continue the discussion of my current problems here. My main concern is the lack ofaccessibility for totally blind people when using sky plus. There are no indications when moving up and down the menus for example, so pressing up, down, select, or left or right arrows does not cause a beep or any audible tone for the blind user. This means blind users cannot adequately use the menus. I feel that key clicks to tell a user when they have pressed an arrow key, or the select key would be a small enhancement to the sky plusmenu system which, in the interim between today, and the day when we finallyget a talking EPG, which I believe is in the pipeline, would be of great help to blind customers, as would accessibility services set to on bydefault. At present, a blind customer has to get assistance with setting up audio description and the beep to tell when AD is available on a channel. Ibelieve this is a sorry state of affairs. Accessibility should be a right straight out of the box, not a privilege, as it is at the moment. If a blind user cannot get sighted assistance, and is not competent with use of the remote control while someone on the end of a phone line talks themthrough key presses where little feedback from the box, Is given, the blind user is stuck with a box they cannot use, as there is no talking EPG at the present time. While sky provides AD for its blind customers, I believe withthe revenue streams sky gets from loyal customers, that access for blindusers should be, and could be much improved. At the moment I am finding myuse of sky plus a very expensive experience, but I hope this, with the rectifying of the remote record problem, should come down to the normalcosts experienced by sighted users of the sky plus system. I must say thatI am very technically minded, and will work through technical issues, but with an aging population, and possible growing numbers of people with moderate to total sight loss, coupled with the imminent switch to digital television for all, sky need to urgently address all access issues to a greater degree than they already are. I like my sky plus box, but am not totally uncritical as my letter to you shows. I am young, technically minded, and have a fair knowledge of computers and of the menu systems sky employ, if explained to me. Some older people might not have this advantage. So this letter is a plea for accessibility for elder folk as well as me as a blind sky user. I feel key clicks could be implemented quickly and should be accelerated to the top of your to do list. I understand the talking EPG is in development, but Key clicks could beimplemented quickly and put into a software upgrade to the current sky plusboxes. I currently use the box by remembering the key presses I make on various keys, but am not totally sure if the box has accepted all presses, so it's still pot luck. I believe the implementation of key clicks is asimportant as the highlighter bar on the menus. If sighted users of sky plus suddenly found the highlighter gone from their menus, they would not be able to find their way around the sky planner and other services. This is how itis for blind users. Yes we have the sky music which plays when in menus, but that is all. There are no other cues as to where we are in the menus. I believe, in the days of the disability discrimination act, and the so called right of disabled people to be treated equally when accessing services, blind people deserve a better deal from sky, as sky continue to innervate. Please, please do not leave blind people out of the digitalrevolution. I believe blind people are given very little consideration whennew services are implemented, and feel this is morally as well as legallywrong. I also wish to express my disappointment in the sign up process formy sky. This implements a visual graphical test for registrants whichentail the completion of a form by entering text into the box. This is notaccessible to screen reading software. An alternative audio system should be provided for blind and visually impaired customers so they can sign up independently. Registration for remote record via sky plus box is notaccessible either, which I feel could be improved by the use of the website to tell the box what to do. Access to sky services needs to be drasticallyimproved for blind users. Thank you for reading." Hope this provokes discussion. Hope to hear from you soon. From Martin. 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