Devices for all: Accessibility features on Amazon Echo, Kindle and Fire TV

Technology has not only become an integral part of our everyday lives but has improved our quality of life. Being a customer centric company, Amazon has always believed that it is important to invent on behalf of customers, alongside customers, and that includes customers with disabilities. All Amazon devices, including Echo, Kindle and Fire TV have been equipped to make user experience better for people with disabilities as well as those with accessibility needs.

Alexa, a cloud-based voice service, is the brain behind the range of Echo devices. Voice has democratized technology for a lot of people and we’re humbled by the reaction we’ve seen with Alexa from customers with different accessibility needs – from people who are blind, to people with limited mobility, to older adults.

We hear how Alexa has made life easier, given people more independence, and even become a part of the family for some. With Alexa, we’re focused on universal design – building features and services that can be used and accessed by the widest range of people with varying abilities. We want Alexa to be available and delightful for every customer who wants to use the service.

Customers with moderate vision impairments or other reading disabilities can make reading on Kindle e-readers more comfortable by customising the font type, size and weight, controlling the screen brightness, margin and line spacing, or inverting the background and text colors.

Alexa is also available on Fire TV Stick streaming media player. You can use your voice and tell Alexa to search and play content either by clicking and subsequently speaking through the microphone icon on the Fire TV remote or by speaking to a connected Echo device. For example, simply say, "Alexa, find comedies," "Alexa, watch Mirzapur," or "Alexa, play music videos on YouTube." This allows all customers to enjoy movies, TV shows, music, apps, and more.

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Vision

• Text Banner for Fire TV: Text Banner for Fire TV is a new assistive technology designed for customers with a narrow field of vision, including eye conditions like macular degeneration, glaucoma, and retinitis pigmentosa. Text Banner consolidates onscreen text into a compact, written banner that appears in a fixed location on the screen. The entire Fire TV user interface, Prime Video, and other applications work with Text Banner, making it easier for these customers to enjoy movies, videos, and more.

• Alexa Voice Service: On Amazon Echo and other Alexa-enabled devices, you can play music, set timers and alarms, check the news and weather, hear stories, order pizza, create shopping lists, shop on Amazon, read Kindle and Audible books, and even control supported smart home devices like an air conditioner or the lights using simple voice commands with Alexa. There are thousands of free Alexa skills that you can enable, with more constantly being added.

• Echo Show Customisation:
  • VoiceView Screen Reader: VoiceView is a screen reader that allows those who are blind or have low vision to use gestures to navigate their Echo Show while VoiceView reads aloud the actions made on screen.
  • Screen Magnifier: The Screen Magnifier feature allows people with low vision to zoom in/out and pan large items on the Echo Show for improved visibility.
  • Color Inversion: Color Inversion exchanges color values. It can make the device easier on the eyes for people with a sensitivity to brightness, people who experience color blindness, and people with low vision.
  • Color Correction: Color Correction modifies the screen of the Echo Show to assist with color blindness.
  • You can enable the above features using voice commands with Alexa. Additionally, you can tap the Echo Show’s touchscreen, selecting “Settings” and then “Accessibility.”
• Kindle Customisation:
  • Navigate Kindle e-reader devices using the built-in VoiceView screen reader. The rate at which VoiceView feedback is spoken can be set to one of eight different speeds of your choice.
  • Customise your reading experience (fonts, text, size, brightness, contrast) on Kindle. The heavier Amazon Ember Bold font on Kindle can assist those with low vision.
  • Read books on your Kindle e-reader without screen glare, even in bright sunlight.
  • You can learn more about how to use the above features here.
• Preferred Speaking Rate: Adjust Alexa’s speaking rate to faster or slower depending on your preference. Just say, "Alexa, speak faster," or "Alexa, speak slower."
• Listen to Books: Listen to Audible books and Kindle e-books on the Echo and other Alexa-enabled devices. Just say, "Alexa, read my book from Kindle," or "Alexa, read my book from Audible."
  • For Audible books, you can also use the Audible app on iOS, and Android devices.
  • For Kindle books, you can use VoiceView on Kindle e-reader devices, or your regular screen reader on iOS, Android, or your PC.
• Alexa on Fire TV: Beyond Echo devices, Alexa is also available on Fire TV Stick. You can use your voice and tell Alexa to search and play content either by clicking and subsequently speaking through the microphone icon on the Fire TV remote or by speaking to a connected Echo device.

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• OpenDyslexic Font: Try the OpenDyslexic font on Kindle and Kindle app for iOS and Android. OpenDyslexic letters have heavy weighted bottoms to indicate direction. You can quickly figure out which part of the letter is down, aiding in recognition of the correct letter. OpenDyslexic font also has features such as wide letter spacing and a unique italic style, to help prevent confusion. To change your settings, open a book and click on “Font” for options.
• Listen to Books: Listen to Audible books and Kindle e-books on the Echo and other Alexa-enabled devices. Just say, "Alexa, read my book from Kindle," or "Alexa, read my book from Audible."
  • For Audible books, you can also use the Audible app on iOS, and Android devices.
  • For Kindle books, you can use VoiceView on Kindle e-reader devices, or your regular screen reader on iOS, Android, or your PC.

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• Closed Captioning: Closed Captioning converts the audio content of a video broadcast into text (subtitles). You can customise how your closed captions appear for Prime Video on Fire TV and Echo Show devices. Just press the “Options” button on your Fire TV remote for subtitles or say, “Alexa, show subtitles,” on your Echo Show.
• Alexa Captioning: Alexa Captioning lets you see text captions for Alexa’s responses on Echo devices with a screen. You can learn more about how to use Alexa Captioning here.

• Tap to Alexa: Use Tap to Alexa on Echo devices with a screen to interact with Alexa, using touch instead of voice. You can learn more about how to set up Tap to Alexa here.
• Preferred Speaking Rate: Adjust Alexa’s speaking rate to faster or slower depending on your preference. Just say, "Alexa, speak faster," or "Alexa, speak slower."
• Calling and Messaging Without Speech: On Echo devices with a screen, you can view contacts, read transcripts of messages, and make calls or send messages by tapping the screen. You can enable Calling & Messaging Without Speech by selecting “Settings” and then “Accessibility.” From here-on, just swipe left on the Echo Show’s touchscreen for quick access to all "Communications" features.

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• Alexa Voice Service:
  • On Amazon Echo and other Alexa-enabled devices, you can play music, set timers and alarms, check the news and weather, hear stories, order pizza, create shopping lists, shop on Amazon, read Kindle and Audible books, and even control supported smart home devices like an air conditioner or the lights using simple voice commands with Alexa. There are thousands of free Alexa skills that you can enable, with more constantly being added.
  • Echo devices have multiple microphones so they can clearly hear your requests from across the room using far-field technology. You are not required to touch or go near an Echo device to interact with Alexa.

• Alexa on Fire TV: Beyond Echo devices, Alexa is also available on Fire TV Stick. You can use your voice and tell Alexa to search and play content either by clicking and subsequently speaking through the microphone icon on the Fire TV remote or by speaking to a connected Echo device.

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• Tap to Alexa: Use Tap to Alexa on Echo devices with a screen to interact with Alexa using touch instead of voice. You can learn more about how to set up Tap to Alexa here.
• Calling and Messaging Without Speech: On Echo devices with a screen, you can view contacts, read transcripts of messages, and make calls or send messages by tapping the screen. You can enable Calling & Messaging Without Speech by selecting “Settings” and then “Accessibility.” From here-on, just swipe left on the Echo Show’s touchscreen for quick access to all "Communications" features.