With Alexa built-in to many of Amazon’s Fire TV streaming devices, it’s already easy to search for content and control its playback. Amazon has also included quite a few accessibility features, from subtitles and closed captions to the VoiceView screen reader and Screen Magnifier.
Now, there’s a new feature called Text Banner which puts all on-screen text in one place and displays it in a format that’s easier to read.
It’s possible to configure Text Banner to suit your particular needs, but it’s designed for people with macular degeneration, glaucoma and retinitis pigmentosa.
In the screenshot above the feature has been set to display white text on a blue background, but you can choose the colours as well as the location of the box plus the size of the text.
Text Banner is available now on all Fire TV devices and can be found by going to Settings in the main menu at the top, then Accessibility and selecting Text Banner.
It works with the entire Fire TV interface, Amazon Prime Video and other apps.
The Fire TV Stick is one of the best-value streaming devices, costing only £49.99/$49.99 for the 4K version.
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.”
Here are the best apps for Fire TV.
Author: Jim Martin, Executive Editor
Jim has been testing and reviewing products for over 20 years. His main beats include VPN services and antivirus. He also covers smart home tech, mesh Wi-Fi and electric bikes.