Candy,
As I'm quite the fan of Hulu, I found workarounds to navigate their
older versions but I'm grateful that they're no longer necessary. I'd
like to encourage all visually impaired Hulu users to write to them at
support@xxxxxxxx or @hulu on Twitter to let them know what you think as
well as suggestions for improvements. They really need to know that the
blindness community does enjoy TV and that they are using their app.
Feel free to visit my Web site
http://www.davidgoldfield.info
David Goldfield,
Assistive Technology Specialist
On 4/28/2015 12:42 PM, Candy Lowe (Redacted sender crlowesings@xxxxxxxxx
for DMARC) wrote:
David, I was feeling the same way about Hulu. I, too, feel that I am pretty
good with technology and enjoy it. At the same time, I was unable to use the
hulu app for a while. I could nagivate to the place where it would say, shows
you watch, but, I couldn't get the spisode to play. When I would double tap,
the home screen would appear again. The only way I could make a show play was
to have my sighted husband start it without voice over. I was so happy to see
the update this morning, and see how well it was working again. In fact, I
considered cancelling hulu, but, now, that won't happen. I, like you, am a
binge watcher, and never watch programs when they are on t v.
Candy
Sent from my iPhone
On Apr 28, 2015, at 5:01 AM, David Goldfield <david.goldfield@xxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
I rarely feel anxious or stressed when it comes to technology. I'm not bragging
and perhaps I shouldn't admit such things as I know there are people who feel
stressed every time their computer boots up. Again, I'm not boasting and I
don't think I'm particularly brilliant. I just enjoy learning and using
technology and it rarely stresses me out. I'm always excited about the prospect
of learning a new app and even embracing a new operating system. However, there
are a few exceptions and one of them is when certain apps update on my iPhone.
Just when I feel that I've learned the commands and gestures of a new app and
the location of its various buttons and controls, just when the app and I have
begun to bond it updates and everything can potentially change. The buttons
could be moved, the prompts could be different or accessibility could be
totally broken.
Lately, I've become a bit of a TV junkie. I'm not what they call a linear
viewer, which is a person who watches a show when it actually airs. However, I
enjoy using apps to watch many programs on demand and Hulu is one of my go-to
apps. I admit that when I see a Hulu update my confidence level begins to
lessen and I have to fight a bout of what could be called app accessibility
anxiety, a phrase I borrowed and rebranded from one of my Twitter contacts,
whose handle I have sadly forgotten. Last night was one of those times when I
saw that an update from Hulu was available and I hoped that the app would work
after the update.
I took a breath, double-tapped the "update all" button to update my apps and,
later, opened Hulu.
I was, to say the least, surprised and delighted at what I discovered. The app
not only worked but accessibility was improved. Hulu now has three tabs on the
bottom of the screen, one for browsing shows, another for discovering new shows
and another for my watchlist. These items were all available with the previous
versions but getting to them, while it was certainly doable, was a bit awkward,
although I became used to the interface. Now, accessing these items is much
easier. The watchlist tab is particularly nice, with buttons for my shows and
separate buttons to play or resume the next episode for that particular show.
Of course, there is always room for improvement. I'd like to see a separate
search tab, as getting to the search edit box on the top left of the screen can
be a bit tricky. Also, it would be nice to have the two-finger scrub activate
the back button.
These things aside, Hulu has done a lot to make the app more usable with
VoiceOver. I am just so pleased to see this change and I would like to publicly
thank them for their efforts.
--
Feel free to visit my Web site
http://www.davidgoldfield.info
David Goldfield,
Assistive Technology Specialist
