If you’ve ventured into the complex world of designing for TV, you’ll find a fragmented ecosystem of competing technologies where accessibility and usability often take a backseat. And if you’re hoping for a clear-cut rulebook, you’re out of luck… Let’s explore the landscape and challenges of designing inclusive experiences for TV users and why embracing accessibility can build a future that ensures all viewers can get on board.
What actually is a TV? The fragmented TV ecosystem
TV platforms, whether Android TV, Apple TV, Roku, or webOS, are highly compartmentalised and varied. Maintaining consistent accessibility standards across such a scattered ecosystem is challenging; each platform may interpret or implement features completely differently. There is no single user interface or hardware that is used by the majority of users and unfortunately, this lack of uniformity often impacts accessibility.
The TV operating system, streaming platforms, and apps are all vying for control over the ecosystem. This fight for territory and prominence can make TV experiences feel fragmented and undefined, with overlapping controls, navigation, and layouts creating friction and experience issues for viewers. Traditional terrestrial TV offered simplicity: turn it on, browse, and pick a channel. But today, the definition of “TV” itself is now blurred; some TVs operate through cable or satellite, others are simply monitors with “sticks” attached, and for some users, the experience doesn’t even involve the use of a ‘TV’. TV has evolved from the simple, communal experience of “turning it on” to an environment filled with individualised viewing setups using mobile or tablets.
Inclusivity in a complex ecosystem
As navigation complexity, sign-in barriers, and the decline of live TV increase, so does the risk of alienating users with low digital literacy. This often includes older audiences for whom TV is a crucial companion, providing structure, routine, and connection to the wider world. In fact, among adults aged 75 and older, live TV accounts for 79% of their total viewing time. These users often struggle to adapt to new platforms, feel hesitant to share personal information, and primarily want TV to remain easy and familiar—one button, and it’s on. In this sense, the layers of navigation and multiple log-ins required by new streaming platforms present significant barriers. Nearly half of older viewers use TV as a means of reducing loneliness, yet these vulnerable groups are the ones who face the most difficulty with today’s complex TV ecosystem.
Accessibility and integration challenges
Creating consistent accessibility standards across such a fragmented ecosystem is a challenge. Each manufacturer and platform often interprets accessibility features differently, making it nearly impossible to achieve the same standards that exist on mobile or web interfaces. Cognitive impairments can further impact usability. For example, in an Ofcom study, users reported that “busy” interfaces could be overwhelming, especially when tracking numerous shows across multiple platforms and varying types of remote controls.
Feature duplication across operating systems and individual apps can lead to disastrous accessibility issues. For instance, each operating system has its own set of accessibility features, such as subtitles and closed captioning. Individual apps, like Netflix, also have their own subtitle options, which can sometimes appear simultaneously, overlapping with the system subtitles and becoming completely illegible. A well-designed app with perfect accessibility means nothing if it’s not properly integrated.
In a world where 4 million people have dexterity issues, remotes are often hard to use—tiny buttons, slippery designs, and an overabundance of features complicate things. Users with dexterity issues lacked the fine motor skills to accurately press the button they wanted or accidentally pressed the wrong button, they had to focus on the remote when using it, often missing screen prompts, and struggling to grip smaller, narrower remotes.
Most modern TV remotes generally lack Braille markings, though some accessibility-focused designs and models include limited tactile features, like raised dots on essential buttons (e.g., power, volume, and channel buttons). These tactile indicators can help visually impaired users orient themselves on the remote, but they’re often minimal and vary widely between manufacturers. Some companies, like Comcast, have introduced accessibility remotes with more pronounced tactile buttons and voice control, but these are exceptions rather than the norm.
Voice-controlled remotes are becoming more common as an alternative accessibility feature, allowing users to navigate without needing to rely solely on touch. However, this doesn’t fully replace Braille or tactile feedback, which would benefit users in low- or no-sound environments or those who prefer a physical guide for navigation.
Taming the landscape of TV design
The TV UX landscape is still largely untamed, standardising accessibility features across platforms isn’t just ideal—it’s essential. We owe it to all users to create interfaces that are clear, consistent, and inclusive.
To drive meaningful change, we should prioritise the following principles:
- Foster collaborative external partnerships
- Prioritise forming strategic external collaborations by sharing research, insights, and best practices from the earliest stages of development. Cooperation between operating system developers and content providers is essential to enhance interoperability and deliver a seamless user experience.
- Put underserved users at the forefront
Design with inclusivity in mind from the outset, minimising unnecessary complexity and streamlining navigation. This approach not only promotes digital inclusion but also improves usability for all users, creating a more intuitive and accessible experience. - Pursue universal accessibility
- Centralise accessibility features in a unified, device-wide settings menu to ensure consistency across platforms. Establish standardised guidelines for key elements like subtitles, voice controls, navigation, and remote control design, creating a cohesive and predictable environment for all users.
