[access-uk] Re: FW: A letter I wrote to sky.
- From: "Jackie Cairns" <jackie.cairns@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 17 Nov 2008 16:09:20 -0000
Actually, in Sky's defence, that isn't strictly true. I've seen their
Accessibilities portion, and they have a lot of staff on it, least at the
Dunfermline Call Centre anyway. I do agree, however, that they should be doing
a lot more a lot quicker.
Jackie Cairns
Braille Support Adviser
Email: Jackie.Cairns@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sight and Sound Technology
Welton House North Wing
Summerhouse Road
Moulton Park
Northampton
NN3 6WD
Telephone: 01604 798024
Fax: 01604 798090
Web: www.sightandsound.co.uk
-----Original Message-----
From: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of M
BROWN
Sent: 17 November 2008 12:12
To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [access-uk] Re: FW: A letter I wrote to sky.
We will all have to wait until about 85% of Sky's sighted customers go blind
before they take the issue of accessibility seriously. With that potential loss
of revenue, Sky would have the problem sorted in a few weeks at most.
The 'accessibility desk', as Sky calls it, is just that. A single desk pushed
into the corner of a room, usually manned by the janitor who has managed to get
his or her toilet tasks cleared up early for that day. Do as I have done. Tell
them to put their crappy, half hearted services for their blind customers where
the sun don't shine. At least there, the janitor might get to have a proper
look at things.
Martin, an ex-sky customer from the 29th of November 2008.
----- Original Message -----
From: <mary_tottle1@xxxxxxx>
To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Sunday, November 16, 2008 7:59 PM
Subject: [access-uk] Re: FW: A letter I wrote to sky.
> Hi Martin,
>
> I think you have written a superb letter and will write to Sky in
> support of this. I know there are many people, not just on this list
> who feel extremely frustrated by the slowness of Sky to make any
> progress with speech. We have had Sky since it first started and I
> remember the engineer telling us even then that Sky were working on
> trying to put some accessible features for blind people so they could access
> menus.
>
> Maybe Terry or Brian could do a feature on this for InfoTech.
>
> Regards
>
> Mary
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "martin wilsher" <m.wilsher@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Sunday, November 16, 2008 4:04 PM
> 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 box is 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 I
>> have unbilled usage of £10 excluding VAT on my mobile bill due to
>> controlling the sky box. I have spoken to accessible customer
>> services regarding 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 of accessibility 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 plus
>> menu system which, in the interim between today, and the day when we
>> finally get 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 by default. 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.
>> I
>> believe 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 them through 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 with the revenue
>> streams sky gets from loyal customers, that access for blind users
>> should be, and could be much improved. At the moment I am finding my
>> use of sky plus a very expensive experience, but I hope this, with
>> the rectifying of the remote record problem, should come down to the
>> normal costs experienced by sighted users of the sky plus system. I
>> must say that I 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 be implemented quickly
>> and put into a software upgrade to the current sky plus boxes. 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 as important 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 it is 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 digital revolution. I believe blind people are given very
>> little consideration when new services are implemented, and feel this
>> is morally as well as legally wrong. I also wish to express my
>> disappointment in the sign up process for my sky. This implements a
>> visual graphical test for registrants which entail the completion of
>> a form by entering text into the box. This is not accessible 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
>> not accessible 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 drastically improved for blind users. Thank you for reading."
>>
>> Hope this provokes discussion.
>>
>> Hope to hear from you soon.
>>
>> From Martin.
>>
>> Please email me at:
>>
>> m.wilsher@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>
>> Thanks
>>
>>
>> Please visit my website:
>>
>> www.martin-wilsher.com
>>
>>
>>
>>
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