Comcast announced Friday it is partnering with organizations dedicated to serving people with visual disabilities to bring the company’s new voice guidance technology to more people.
The “talking guide” is a feature on the X1 platform that reads aloud selections like program titles, network names and time slots as well as DVR and On Demand settings, giving users the freedom to independently explore and navigate shows and movies.
This Sunday, Comcast will launch a national campaign during the 2015 Academy Awards called “Emily’s Oz” that is intended to spark an even bigger conversation about how people with disabilities enjoy entertainment.
Comcast is working with the following organizations and evaluating additional groups within the company’s service area:
- Associated Services for the Blind – Philadelphia, PA
- Carroll Center for the Blind – Newton, MA
- Colorado Center for the Blind – Littleton, CO
- Inglis – Philadelphia, PA
- Miami Lighthouse – Miami, FL
- Overbrook School for the Blind – Philadelphia, PA
- Perkins School for the Blind – Watertown, MA
“Emily’s Oz” features a seven-year-old girl who was born blind and highlights her description of what she sees when she watches her favorite movie, The Wizard of Oz.
Some of Hollywood’s top directors, set designers and make-up artists then went to work to bring her vision to life. The voice over for the commercial is provided by two-time Academy Award winner Robert Redford.
The talking guide is the latest in a series of innovations created in the Comcast Accessibility Lab. In addition to voice guidance and one-touch access to closed captioning, Comcast created an online help and support resource for Xfinity customers looking for information about accessibility-related topics.
Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK) is a global media and technology company.
