Amazon Text Banner for Fire TV image
In this example, Text Banner was configured to be placed in the lower-left corner, with white text on a blue background, and blue focus indicator.

Today, Amazon has unveiled Text Banner for Fire TV, a new assistive technology designed for customers with a narrow field of vision or vision impairments to make onscreen text easier to read.

Text Banner consolidates onscreen text into a compact, written banner that appears in a fixed location on the screen. It allows people with vision impairments to view the title of the currently focused item and related text – such as the title and description of a film, alongside star ratings – in an easy-to-read rectangular box on the screen.

Amazon customers have the ability to customise colours, box and text size within Text Banner so they can view items more easily in a way that makes sense to them.

Now, the entire Fire TV user interface, Prime Video and other applications work with Text Banner, making it easier for Amazon customers to enjoy films, videos and TV shows.

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Discussing Amazon’s latest assistive technology development, Marc Powell, Strategic Accessibility Lead at RNIB, said: “The accessibility of tech is changing the lives of blind and partially sighted people – giving a greater sense of freedom, increasing independence and breaking down barriers to create a more inclusive world.

“Amazon’s move to begin making its Fire TV platform more accessible for people with vision impairment is another powerful message of inclusivity to the industry and we hope to continue seeing accessibility improve as a trend across the technology sector in the years ahead.”

Amazon Text Banner for Fire TV image

Text Banner for Fire TV can be useful for people with eye conditions like macular degeneration, glaucoma, and retinitis pigmentosa.

To turn the Text Banner assistive technology feature on, and customise colours, box and text size, customers should visit Settings > Accessibility > Text Banner within Fire TV.

Amazon Fire TV is a media player that streams video, music and games to a person’s TV. It plugs into the HDMI port of a TV and turns any TV into a smart TV.

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