First, on the point of accessability of BBC Sounds.? It isn't a case of "telling manufacturers how to make their radios, etcetera, more setting a propper framework and technical hook-ins to enable radios or internet devices to link seemlessly to radio stations and enable convenient and easy-to-use interfaces including enabling staton pre-sets to be implemented.? the same goes for phones/tablets and specialist devices helping them to build on an interface or access streams easily to enable setting up of pre-sets.? (One of the reasons I wrote to In touch was that I began to rely more on internet radio to overcome poor reception in my high-rise city centre location, a replacement for terrestial radio should for me look a lot like a radio!
to that end, and as I've suggested on another list, a radio or even "wireless" page could be included in an updated Sounds app to enable one-touch clicking of stations to listen to them, possibly one page or screen for national stations, another for local radio - what's left of it!? Quite possibly this could be built on to enable physical button devices to hook into.? I and many feel their has been to much disparraging of devices in the specialist market that enable just this sort of thing.
So , I do believe the Beeb should do more than ensure straight accessability to what is for us, and some others who find Sounds a clutter and not at all convenient to use if all you want is to listen to the radio.? Actualy subscribing to and downloading podcasts from sounds is still a mystery to me, by the way.
Its not as though the Beeb has not responded to our needs in a more strictly accessability requirements way either.? I recall a time when iPlayer and playing of radio and Tv was much less accessible than now.? One of the BBC technical team put out a request for how the player interface should be improved, and they did do it.? I find the player good in terms of accessability and eas of use these days proving these things can be acted on.? the only bit I and many have problems with at times is the question of whether you are an adult or not.
A depricating and discouraging attitude towards? specialist access solutions is I believe much too straight forward and seemingly uninformed on the needs and wants of many vI and other users who want an easy, push button equivalent of pre-sets on an oldie radio (A word deprocated by the Beeb these days)You can go back a long way to when wireless was a much simpler affair and the old Bush valve preset radios which must have helped many blind people switching between the Light, the third programme, and Home Service as they were then, but with the option to tune around on the remaining two buttons).
It is not simply the case BBC Sounds is inaccessible;? in the strict sense it is.? Its more its simplicity of use that is the problem.
A report on another list cites a Daily Mail article complaining that older listners seem to have been thrown under the bus of progress in the determined effort to gode people into setting up BBc Sounds and that goes for many disabled listeners and viewers too.? A bit rich coming from the Daily Mail as it isusually known for its support of one of the Government's favourite themes, BBC bashing!? Pity then that the Beeb is compounding its problems of finance by alienating a large part of their audience.
Its Your BBC, they proclaim.? Does that include me and so many of our community who are not so impressed with this notion of progress that is BBC Sounds?
I intend writing again to BBC sounds in spite of their peski form, and to humanware and anyone else who might take notice and maybe even prompt the BBC to think again.? Some hopes, I hear you say.
Ray.
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On 01/12/2022 05:46 pm, Steve Nutt wrote:
I just don't see that.
The BBC don't tell Sony, Roberts, or whoever how to manufacture their radios.
Admittedly they are locking down Sounds with an account, but that shouldn't be insurmountable.
All the best
Steve
-----Original Message-----
From: [email protected] <[email protected]> On Behalf Of Henry Miller
Sent: 01 December 2022 17:06
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [dap-uk] Its BBC Sounds or Nothing? In Touch November29
Hi Steve
But it is the BBC's job to ensure that all listeners can share the same experiences based on age, ethnicity disability and any thing else.
Best wishes
Henry
-----Original Message-----
From: [email protected] <[email protected]> On Behalf Of Steve Nutt
Sent: 01 December 2022 16:48
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [dap-uk] Its BBC Sounds or Nothing? In Touch November29
No, I'm not excusing anyone. It's not the BBC's job to make these specialist players accessible, it is the manufacturers of the players.
All the best
Steve
-----Original Message-----
From: [email protected] <[email protected]> On Behalf Of ltmmcarter@...
Sent: 01 December 2022 16:44
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [dap-uk] Its BBC Sounds or Nothing? In Touch November29
Hi Steve,
But you are excusing the BBC for excluding us, and many other groups.
This is not inclusion but exclusion.
Mary
-----Original Message-----
From: [email protected] <[email protected]> On Behalf Of Steve Nutt
Sent: 01 December 2022 13:44
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [dap-uk] Its BBC Sounds or Nothing? In Touch November29
I'm not writing anyone off. I'm saying that anything that is made for us, could be adapted to use a single sign in method to access BBC Sounds, then you would have the simplicity of the device that you currently use.
The VR Stream could be made to do this I would imagine, since it already has Wi-Fi.
Certainly, most of the Daisy players that I know of now have Wi-Fi, and if you are accessing Internet radio, such as BBC Sounds, then you need Internet anyway. I am sure this could be made easier with a little imagination from the manufacturers of specialist devices, but I don't think it's up to the BBC to adapt, rather it's the manufacturers of our products that need to look at it.
All the best
Steve
-----Original Message-----
From: [email protected] <[email protected]> On Behalf Of ltmmcarter@...
Sent: 01 December 2022 13:40
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [dap-uk] Its BBC Sounds or Nothing? In Touch November29
How much I disagree with you Steve.
The question is that for many of us we want to be included and regarded.
BBC Sounds, iPlayer and Britbox have bluntly appealed to those who have time and effort, or else it is part of there daily work, to adapt, if they can't then it is for them, people, like me toughen up or be quiet.
Years ago bars, clubs and dance halls barred blind people on the grounds that we were a fire hazard, in a fire the rest can get out, so we do not need to make the place safer.
I suspect that the BBC consult people like the "boys club" of the RNIB's tech talk podcasts, or whatever they are called.
If the sighted public had to go through the hoops we have to, the BBC would make adaptions.
Careful what you say Steve or the BBC and RNIB will start quoting you.
Most of the time I really like what you say, but this time I feel you are writing me off.
Best Mary.
-----Original Message-----
From: [email protected] <[email protected]> On Behalf Of Steve Nutt
Sent: 30 November 2022 12:40
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [dap-uk] Its BBC Sounds or Nothing? In Touch November29
To be honest, if Google and Amazon can make Actions or Skills, respectively, for BBC sounds, then I don't think specialist hardware players are needed.
Having said that, this won't only affect specialist players, since some regular hi-fi speakers also directly access BBC streams such as Bluesound. However, Sonos have got over it, again, by creating a link to BBC sounds. This is only a one time log in to the account, so it really wouldn't be that difficult.
Not quite a fuss about nothing, but not the end of the world either, in my view.
All the best
Steve
-----Original Message-----
From: [email protected] <[email protected]> On Behalf Of Rea Lists
Sent: 30 November 2022 12:35
To: [email protected]
Subject: [dap-uk] Its BBC Sounds or Nothing? In Touch November29
A modified post with additions posted earlier to Vi-gen Access group.
Subject sums up mytakeaway on last night's In touch and the demise of the Shoutcast radio feeds.
Should not have been surprised that tno one from BBC Sounds made themselves available for the programme.
This is probably in line with the true Riethian autocratic traditions of the BBC - or is it just the two fingered salute? In any case the Beeb in Rieth's day had some commitment to "public service" which sadly seem lacking in the BBC Sounds project.
So, here's a thought from me on how adaptive tech vendors might be helped to give us one button pre-set access to streamed radio. Given part of the licence fee is now going to pay for rollout of faster broadband,then should not an amount be made available to develop players and interfaces to meet the needs of so many blind people who are not stratospherically tech savvy? So, an on-screen set of buttons for statons similar to the Humanware interface? Hardware interfaces and players that allow easy access to pre-set stations and banks of presets as I use on my VR players?
Engineering this sort of thing is routine enough for software and hardware engineers and designers - if you pay them enough. So I propose a grant from the BBC and public broadcasting to finance the up-front investment needed to make this happen. Perhaps the folks at BBc Sounds wil communicate with the access tech industry too on this one, unlike their unwillingness to communicate with us - other than via press release type statements
I interviewed Humanware at a local meeting recently but the guys lips were sealed when it came to what might be in store for the latest version of their talking book and radio player, but we are promised something early next year.
To end with, I wonder how people here would feel about yet another keypad interface to work alongside iPhones and Android devices? This could be something like the Humanware interface, but linking to a phone or tablet. this might have potential as well for playing talking books either downloaded or online, and Wireless for Blind might also be persuaded to join in what with the demise of the Sonata player, but sometimes I think WFBFis in a ghetto like bunker not unlike BBC Sounds.
Ray.
Ray.
