Apple TV 2nd generation: Apple Continues to Set the Accessibility Standard

Apple is a leader in mainstream product accessibility for persons who are blind or visually impaired. They wowed us with built-in accessibility for the iPhone, iPod, and iPad. In theApril number of AccessWorld Joe Strechay reviewed Apple TV.

The Apple TV unit itself costs $99. Your television needs to have a High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) port and you will need a HDMI cable (about $20) to connect the unit to your television. There is no subscription cost to use Apple TV. Costs for other services (e.g., Netflix subscriptions, iTunes purchases) remain the same, whether you access them through Apple TV or a computer.

With Apple TV you can stream all kind of free media like YouTube or rent a movie to your TV. Like all devices from Apple also the Apple TV device has been made accessible by the VoiceOver screen reader reading aloud all menus.

If you are a user with low vision who is comfortable with VoiceOver, then accessibility will not be an issue with Apple TV. If you do not like using speech, however, low-vision accessibility on Apple TV may be problematic. You can't change the contrast, font size, or other display attributes. The size of your monitor or television screen will determine the size of the menu type display.

Read Apple TV Review on AccessWorld