[dbaust] Government to provide free accessible set-top boxes

From: Erika Webb <erikaweb@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: Erika Webb <erikaweb@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Mon, 16 Apr 2012 22:08:50 -0700 (PDT)

Government to provide free accessible set-top boxes

Tuesday, 17 April 2012 2:35pm from Media Access Australia

 

 

http://www.mediaaccess.org.au/latest_news/general/government-to-provide-free-accessible-set-top-boxes

 

 

Senator Stephen Conroy, Minister for Broadband,
Communications and the Digital Economy, has announced that talking set-top
boxes will be distributed to blind and vision impaired people as part of the
Household Assistance Scheme being co-ordinated by his department’s Digital
Switchover Taskforce.

 

 

Senator Conroy made the announcement during a radio
interview with Robyn Gaile, Executive Officer of Blind Citizens Australia, on
the New Horizons program, which is broadcast on Radio for the Print Handicapped
and community radio stations across Australia.

 

 

New Horizons Radio Program 238: 16 April 2012

http://www.bca.org.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=111&Itemid=54

 

 

People who are legally blind or receiving a carer’s payment
for a legally blind child need to register for the Household Assistance Scheme
as their region of Australia transitions to digital-only television. A
timetable of when each region switches to digital transmission is available on
the Digital Ready website. 

http://www.digitalready.gov.au/when-do-i-switch.aspx

 

 

The next region, Northern New South Wales, will be switched
over in June. The Government is also investigating the possibility of providing
talking set-top boxes to blind and vision impaired people in areas where
digital TV switchover has already been completed.

 

 

Two talking set-top boxes, which feature talking menus,
program guides and other features, were developed for the Household Assistance
Scheme and trialled in 2010. One of these, the Bush Talking Set Top Box, went
on sale last year for $200. The Government has also commissioned research into
which other set-top boxes and TV sets are capable of receiving audio
description.

 

 

Bush Talking Set Top Box,

http://www.bushaustralia.com.au/details.aspx?pid=229&stid=9

 

 

In the interview, Senator Conroy also talked about the
upcoming trial of audio description on ABC1, 

http://www.mediaaccess.org.au/latest_news/australian-policy-and-legislation/television-revealed-for-blind-and-vision-impaired-australians

saying that, “The ABC and my department are developing plans
to let interested people know how they can take part in the trial.” The trial
is due to commence in August, and will involve 14 hours of audio described
drama, comedy and documentary per week.

 

 

 

Government to provide free accessible set-top boxes

http://www.mediaaccess.org.au/latest_news/general/government-to-provide-free-accessible-set-top-boxes

 

 

From Media Access Australia.
[dbaust] Government to provide free accessible set-top boxes

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