The 2013 Access Awards

April 16, 2013 — The American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) announced that AT&T, Best Buy, Panasonic, Regal Entertainment Group and Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) are the 2013 Access Award winners. This award is given annually to those individuals, corporations and organizations that AFB recognizes as substantially improving the accessibility experiences of individuals with vision loss. Carl R. Augusto, president and CEO of AFB, stated that “this year’s Access Award recipients are leveling the playing field for the more than 20 million Americans with vision loss by increasing access to current events and pop culture.” In particular, each award recipient is recognized for the following work and product development:

• AT&T: U-verse® Easy Remote App that allows users to control the TV through an iPhone or iPad.
• Best Buy: Development of the Narrator, a fully accessible HD FM digital radio.
• Panasonic: Accessible television models in the United Kingdom that offer “Voice Guidance” as a built in standard at a no additional cost.
• Regal Entertainment Group: First movie theater chain to provide technology that allows for captioning and video description at all digital cinema locations.
• RNIB: Served as an advisor to Panasonic with regard to the development of their accessible technology and has specifically “invested considerable resources to advance the development of accessible TV.”