National Federation of Blind Knocks Google Waiver Ask but Doesn't Oppose

Google Fiber's attempt to justify waiver of some audio accessibility set-top box functions because they're supposedly less used "is insultingly dismissive" of the visually impaired, the National Federation of the Blind said in an FCC docket 12-108 posting last week. It doesn't oppose the amended limited waiver petition (see 1905140066) but will watch to see if further waivers are filed in the near future. NFB said the FCC should deny any that ask for further extending the deadlines. The frequency of a particular feature's use is irrelevant when its presence is to ensure everyone can use the program or service, it said. Google Fiber emailed Thursday that accessibility "remains a priority." "Our video product provides accessibility-compliant solutions for most of the critical features our customers most frequently use, and we continue to focus on developing innovative solutions for these few remaining features to provide the most inclusive experience for all of our customers," it said.