PHILADELPHIA — Comcast announced Wednesday a partnership with wearable technology start-up NuEyes to enable visually impaired customers to view Comcast’s Xfinity Stream service through NuEyes’ virtual-reality technology.
The Xfinity Stream app, which allows customers to watch live TV and on-demand content, is now available on the NuEyes e2 smartglasses and VR magnifying device that enhances the usable vision of people who are visually impaired. Xfinity Stream is pre-installed on NuEyes e2, allowing users with visual disabilities to see TV shows, news, movies, live sports and more, independently, Comcast said in the news release.
Founded by a U.S. veteran, NuEyes’ mission is to give people who are visually impaired the independence they may have lost due to conditions such as macular degeneration, glaucoma and retinitis pigmentosa. The lightweight design of the NuEyes e2 smartglasses, paired with handsfree and wireless functionality, gives people with low vision the ability to participate in their everyday lives in ways that were once difficult or impossible, such as clearly seeing loved ones’ faces, reading, cooking and enjoying television, Comcast said.
“Being blind since birth, I know firsthand the power of technology to enhance independence,” said Tom Wlodkowski, vice-president of accessibility at Comcast, in the news release. “Our partnership with NuEyes is an extension of our commitment to designing great entertainment experiences for people of all abilities.”
James Baldwin (pictured wearing the NuEyes e2 magnifying device), an 18-year army veteran, began losing his vision three years ago due to an injury sustained during his service. He lives with a prosthetic left eye and limited vision in his right eye. James was one of the first customers to experience Xfinity Stream on NuEyes e2, allowing him to watch TV again for the first time in years.
“Collaborating with Comcast has been an absolute joy,” said Mark Greget, founder and CEO of NuEyes, in the news release. “To be able to stream content directly to our consumers’ eyes in a way that has never been done before enables millions of visually impaired people to continue enjoying their TV experience and more.”
Over the past several years, Comcast launched the industry’s first talking TV guide, introduced a voice-activated remote control, launched X1 eye control for the TV and produced the first live entertainment show in U.S. broadcast history, The Wiz Live, to be accessible to people with a visual disability. Comcast also has a service centre specifically dedicated to customers with disabilities where agents are specially trained in the company’s accessibility features and general support issues.
