The CRTC has written a letter to SaskTel president and CEO Charlene Gavel asking for help in finding a solution to the problem of the telecom’s set-top boxes allegedly not being accessible to those of its maxTV customers who are blind or partially sighted.
The commission received a complaint from a blind SaskTel customer who said the company’s set-top boxes are not accessible because they are not compatible with screen-reading technology. Based on the information filed with the commission, it appears “that SaskTel has no plans to provide a set-top box that is accessible to those customers and that SaskTel does not offer them an interim solution or other accommodation,” said the March 13 letter from Scott Hutton, CRTC vice president, consumer, analytics and strategy.
“I understand that screen reader technology is available to maxTV Stream customers, as the service can be accessed through Apple TV devices. However, customers who require accessible technology are required to purchase Apple TV devices themselves to make use of screen reader technology,” said Hutton’s letter addressed to Gavel.
“In light of the Accessible Canada Act, modernized Broadcasting Act, and the Broadcasting Distribution Regulations, our collective goal is to ensure that customers who are blind or partially sighted are not facing unnecessary barriers to accessing broadcasting services, and I would like to understand what SaskTel is doing to resolve this situation,” Hutton said.
He noted that “at least one other distributor has responded to similar complaints by updating its policies to provide Apple TV devices free of charge to the small number of customers requiring screen readers.”
Hutton’s letter asks Gavel to respond by April 2 with her thoughts on “how SaskTel can contribute to reaching what I am confident is our shared goal of ensuring that persons with disabilities can access programming on an equitable basis.”
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