I received an Amazon Echo Show as a gift for Christmas and I love it!  I set it up in my kitchen so recipes, news, music, and so much more are easily accessible.  If you’re unfamiliar with the Echo Show, it is an Amazon Echo device optimized “for visuals and room-filling sound.”  The device is jam-packed with features and skills to make your life easier.  

You can enable multiple accessibility features for individuals with visual, hearing, and speech impairments on compatible Echo devices with screens.  Keep on reading to learn more about these features and how to turn them on/off!

Accessibility Features on the Echo Show: 

Hearing Settings:

• Closed Captioning: Shows closed captions for supported videos and movie trailers
  • HOW TO ENABLE: 
    1. Say, “Alexa, go to Settings,” or swipe down from the top of the screen and select Settings
    2. Select Accessibility
    3. Tap on Closed Captioning to turn the feature on and off
• Alexa Captioning: Lets you see text captions of supported responses from Alexa in real time.  
  • HOW TO ENABLE:
    1. Say, “Alexa, go to Settings,” or swipe down from the top of the screen and select Settings
    2. Select Accessibility
    3. Select Alexa Captioning to turn the feature on and off
• Calling and Messaging without Speech: Using the messaging touch feature, you can view transcripts from your Alexa messages and see your contacts by touching your screen.  After enabling this feature, swipe left to access the Calling & Messaging home card.
  • HOW TO ENABLE:
    1. Swipe down from the top of the screen and select Settings, or say, “Go to settings.”
    2. Click on Accessibility
    3. Select Calling & Messaging Without Speech to toggle it on or off

Vision Settings:

• VoiceView Screen Reader: VoiceView describes what you touch and interact with on the screen (e.g. an item in a list)
  
  • You’re able to manage screen reader settings, including:
    • Turning VoiceView on/off
    • Adjusting reading volume and speed
    • Feedback tone volume
  • There is a lot to the VoiceView Screen Reader feature; click here to learn more.
• Screen Magnifier: Allows you to use gestures to magnify the screen
• Color Inversion: Inverts color values on all screens.  For example, white text on a black screen becomes black text on a white screen
• Color Correction: Modifies the screen colors to assist with the following types of color blindness:
  • Deuteranomaly (red-green)
  • Protanomaly (red-green)
  • Tritanomaly (blue-yellow)

Speech Settings:

• Tap to Alexa:  Allows interaction with Alexa by selecting on-screen tiles, or using an on-screen keyboard, instead of speaking
  • HOW TO ENABLE:
    • Say, “Go to Settings,” or swipe down from the top of the screen and select Settings
    • Select Accessibility, and then Tap to Alexa to enable it
    • Note: to see responses on the screen, enable Alexa Captioning
  • Click here to learn more about this particular feature.

Learn more about the different accessibility features on Echo devices with a screen by clicking here.