[access-uk] Re: FW: A letter I wrote to sky.
- From: "martin wilsher" <m.wilsher@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 16 Nov 2008 17:15:17 -0000
HI Steve:
I have been badgering sky ever since I began my custom with them and knew
they had an accessibility team over five years ago. They talked the talk
for a long time, then while upgrading to sky plus earlier this week, I spoke
strongly about the talking EPG, contrasting the new technologies and their
visual flashyness, with the lack of accessibility provided to blind people.
Saying that they had neglected blind people in the main, and weren't they
possibly breaking laws here too? I then spoke of how computers did things,
and how easy and low resource some of the talking packages are on computers
these days. Of course, when I had to get the sky engineer to subscribe me
to sky remote record, then realised the website did not work for remote
record and I'd have to pay to text my box, a total of 37 p per message,
twelve p for the network charge, and twenty five p for the confirmation, I
got really angry and put the case I was being discriminated against, and
that I would like some help with the costs of using the text service, as the
website's remote record feature was not working for me. This was agreed by
sky, and I have been told that until they have sorted the broken remote
record feature on the website, I should submit my mobile phone bill to sky
every month and they'd refund any costs incurred by me due to the
inaccessibility of the remote record service.
Re your issue with 24, it sounds like a website issue and you might try
talking to disability services and seeing what they can do. I have an
ongoing issue with the remote record feature on skycap, so maybe they can
sort your issue too.
Good luck, and if I get a response from sky, I'll post to this list.
Hope to hear from you soon.
From Martin.
Please email me at:
m.wilsher@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Thanks
Please visit my website:
www.martin-wilsher.com
From: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of
Steve Dryden
Sent: 16 November 2008 16:21
To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [access-uk] Re: FW: A letter I wrote to sky.
Martin, you have raised some excellent points here. I'd be very keen to
read your reply when you receive it.
To the point of a talking EPG, I wasn't aware that they were working on
this. What do you or anyone else, know about this? Also, I found the sky
website rather difficult last night when trying to find out about the new 24
season. I got to the sky one page and found the link to 24 redemption but
when clicking on the link and going to that page, the pc froze. This
happened 3 times in a row.
I think that key clicks on the sky page would be an excellent indication
that an action has taken place.
I will certainly mail sky myself in support of your mail and would suggest
that others do the same.
Kind regards.
Steve
----- 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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