Accessibility options: text size, colours, themes etc

KeithKeith Member, Super User Posts: 2,454 ✭✭✭
edited 5 March 2017, 2:28PM in Feedback
During the trial and again on this public forum from time to time accessibility has been mentioned with reference to larger text, different colours, contrast etc.

Whilst the EPG has a zoom option it is not entirely user friendly. Some possible ways to modify the EPG, to both satisfy some users desire for it to display more info whilst also offering a better zoom option, are on this other topic.

There is also a specific suggestion to provide an option to use an on screen keyboard for text entry instead of the default txting style.

However, further accessibility options could also be individual options set by the user that apply across the user interface in general, i.e. throughout all menus, listings and the EPG etc, e.g.
  • choice of several larger text sizes
  • choice of several fonts
  • choice of several different foreground and/or background colours
  • choice of highlighted option foreground and/or background colour
Another approach would be to combine such options into several accessibility themes, e.g. default theme as now, high contrast theme, large text theme etc.

A themed approach could also be extended to offer several different looks to the default theme in general to allow different end users to choose the look they prefer (i.e. not just for accessibility reasons).

Comments

  • KeithKeith Member, Super User Posts: 2,454 ✭✭✭
    edited 4 March 2017, 10:29AM
    To add to the general topic description above, some may first question if someone has the most appropriate TV screen size for their viewing distance. However, there can be many factors that will influence the size of TV someone purchases (e.g. cost, space etc) and thus, within reasons, the size of screen used should not have to solely determine/dictate whether someone can read the text displayed by the YouView system.

    Regardless of whether someone considers variable text size and other options as accessibility options, some flexibility on such settings would be beneficial to a wide range of users improving the usability of the device in general.
  • cherry redcherry red Member Posts: 24
    edited 18 October 2012, 4:02PM
    I'm hoping for the "control via smartphone / tablet" idea with regards to accessibility, also. Myself and my husband are both registered blind (he totally blind and I with some limited residual vision). Control via, say, an ipad with a fully featured app which would work with the IOS built in screen reader (called voiceover) would mean that my husband could use all aspects of the youview box, not just keying in channel numbers on the supplied hardware remote by "feel". Which is what he will be doing to begin with (he's not rabidly interested in more, but it would be nice to have. However I am rabidly interested in tech and will be putting the box through it's paces from a visually impaired person's point of view even if I have to lean three inches away from the screen to do it at the outset ;) ).
    We are having youview installed on saturday (with Talk Talk.) We shall see how we get on with regards to accessibility.
  • billmarsbillmars Member Posts: 40
    edited 20 October 2012, 11:30AM
    This is one of the main reasons I don't use the YouView box more. I find the legibility of all the menus sadly lacking. It's not only the very small font used, but the choice of foreground and background colours. The highlighted line in the EPG is particularly bad (white font on blue background), that I find it easier to read the unhighlighted line before it disappears as 'highlighted'.
    In fact everything to do with on screen information, the way it works, the legibility, its inability to work logically, and why oh why is there no dedicated remote control button for the recordings listing. I could go on...!
    Give me the fully configurable MyStuff EPG on the Topfield any day.
  • cherry redcherry red Member Posts: 24
    edited 20 December 2012, 9:03PM
    Well, our box got installed.
    Accessibility-wise - the included "zoom" feature is next to useless. It blurs the menus when it zooms and is no where near zoomy ;) enough for me. Next please !
    The up, down, side to side navigation is a bit of a bind to get used to - I'm having difficulty figuring out what is highlighted in some of the sections as I'm not yet used to the navigation so I don't know where to focus my residual vision. I don't have enough visual field to lock onto the highlighted part unless I know where to find it already. It will come with time though.
    Really going to be waiting for an external app on an ipad / iphone / android tablet. Until then it will be hard going for this blind bird but I did expect that, it must be said. I'm a persistent early adopter though.
  • UnknownUnknown
    edited 26 September 2013, 8:33AM
    Hi Cherry

    An iOS app is on its way, no date has been given but I think it's been suggested for later this year.
  • KeithKeith Member, Super User Posts: 2,454 ✭✭✭
    edited 4 March 2017, 10:29AM
    Given that the topic on remote record via app is marked as planned I would take that to mean the initial iOS app to allow remote setting of recordings is likely to be in the upcoming update. As I've said on that topic hopefully it can then be extended to allow more general remote management via the app.

    It would also be good if any solution is fairly flexible too, i.e. iOS, Android native apps but also a general web app too.
  • KeithKeith Member, Super User Posts: 2,454 ✭✭✭
    edited 4 March 2017, 10:29AM
    For those following this topic, the software update scheduled for today (30/10/2012) is now out (although your box may not automatically update until tonight but you can try a manual update if keen).

    The update contains various improvements including some related to accessibility such as minor changes to the font and highlighting colour contrast and the guide layout.
  • cherry redcherry red Member Posts: 24
    edited 30 October 2012, 4:35PM
    Ooooh ! Right. Thanks for the heads up.
    I have a TalkTalk Box, not sure if it happens for us at the same time as non branded boxes, but I will fire it up now and check.
  • KeithKeith Member, Super User Posts: 2,454 ✭✭✭
    edited 4 March 2017, 10:29AM
    On another topic there has been some lively discussion about the positioning of various on screen notification messages such as the channel number and volume level. Some users are asking that notifications that currently appear in the middle of the screen are moved to the edge/bottom/corner etc to be less obtrusive.

    However, this has raised questions of accessibility and also a proposal that the positioning of such messages could be a user option so those that want such messages more obviously in the middle (for accessibility reasons or otherwise) can choose to do so whilst others could choose to have then elsewhere.

    Whilst I can see that to some these notification messages are obtrusive and in particular more prominent than on many other systems, personally I do not really mind them in the middle but would equally be happy with an option for the user to choose where they go.
  • KeithKeith Member, Super User Posts: 2,454 ✭✭✭
    edited 4 March 2017, 10:29AM
    Another point to come out of the above mentioned discussion is the idea that if accessibility themes and options were added then the initial setup could include a configuration step to enable these if desired/as appropriate.
  • Steve7Steve7 Member Posts: 7
    edited 9 March 2013, 11:22PM
    We've had our box a couple of days and find the guide text very difficult to read, is there a timescale for changing this or making the accesibility options avilable?

    It's really putting us off using the box :(
  • billmarsbillmars Member Posts: 40
    edited 12 March 2013, 1:32PM
    It's about time this was sorted. There has been a steady stream of comments (not just in this thread) about the difficulty of reading on screen information, because of the size of font, and the choice of colours. I have no difficulty reading on screen information from other sources (another PVR, a DVD and the TV's own menu and EPG system), so I don't believe it's down to my personal optical failings!
    The ability to change font size (and/or font), font colour, background colour and different EPG views would let each individual user set up on screen information to their own needs.
    There is a considerable amount of unused screen real estate which could be more usefully used.
  • PPP QQQPPP QQQ Member Posts: 857
    edited 10 March 2013, 11:27AM
    Even just the option to change the background colour and font colour would be great. The current screen looks like somebody has recently died. Ability to choose a less miserable colour scheme might do a lot for readability even without a font size option.
  • stuart5stuart5 Member Posts: 1
    edited 5 March 2017, 2:28PM
    Having had our youview box for a week now can only agree with previous comments...the font used for guide and menus is waaaay to small and the zoom function is not at all helpful as you cannot navigate through the guide whilst in zoom mode grrrrrr surely a simple software update can sort this out
  • Lbear1Lbear1 Member Posts: 741 ✭
    edited 13 October 2013, 2:54PM
    stuart5 said:

    Having had our youview box for a week now can only agree with previous comments...the font used for guide and menus is waaaay to small and the zoom function is not at all helpful as you cannot navigate through the guide whilst in zoom mode grrrrrr surely a simple software update can sort this out

    Retail Humax boxes have recently been updated to allow a high contrast option for visually challenged owners. This consists of white characters on black/dark grey background. The extra contrast considerably improves visibility.

    If you have a retail box, the option is in the Settings main menu and the "Subtitles and Accessibility" sub-menu.

    Hopefully this accessibility improvement will be available on non-retail Humax and Huawei boxes soon.
  • alal Member, Super User Posts: 1,342 ✭✭✭
    edited 8 December 2016, 12:01PM
    stuart5 said:

    Having had our youview box for a week now can only agree with previous comments...the font used for guide and menus is waaaay to small and the zoom function is not at all helpful as you cannot navigate through the guide whilst in zoom mode grrrrrr surely a simple software update can sort this out

    Although if you are viewing on a Plasma you might not want to leave this high contrast display on for too long.
  • Colin5Colin5 Member Posts: 85 ✭
    edited 1 December 2016, 1:23AM
    stuart5 said:

    Having had our youview box for a week now can only agree with previous comments...the font used for guide and menus is waaaay to small and the zoom function is not at all helpful as you cannot navigate through the guide whilst in zoom mode grrrrrr surely a simple software update can sort this out

    The high contrast setting is great, but its only black-and-white, it would be even better if you can personalise the colour scheme yourself. Where they can give you a colour choices. Similar to the Assessability part of windows, on your PC. YouView is different to the PC but there is no harm in asking, different people with visual impairment prefer different colour schemes. Colin
  • alal Member, Super User Posts: 1,342 ✭✭✭
    edited 8 December 2016, 12:01PM
    stuart5 said:

    Having had our youview box for a week now can only agree with previous comments...the font used for guide and menus is waaaay to small and the zoom function is not at all helpful as you cannot navigate through the guide whilst in zoom mode grrrrrr surely a simple software update can sort this out

    That's ok until someone sets all backgrounds, windows and text to black like I might have done when I was younger and eviller!
  • Colin5Colin5 Member Posts: 85 ✭
    edited 1 December 2016, 1:23AM
    stuart5 said:

    Having had our youview box for a week now can only agree with previous comments...the font used for guide and menus is waaaay to small and the zoom function is not at all helpful as you cannot navigate through the guide whilst in zoom mode grrrrrr surely a simple software update can sort this out

    Nasty!
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