Smart TV Accessibility
Captions on always, bigger menus, audio descriptions, voice remotes, and bedtime timers. For low vision, hard of hearing, or limited dexterity.
Audio descriptions are a lifesaver — but they are OFF by default
For people with low vision or blindness, audio descriptions narrate what is happening on screen between the dialogue ("she opens the door, picks up the gun"). Every major streaming service supports them — but you have to turn them on. Most viewers have no idea they exist.
Which TV system do you have?
Roku (TV or stick)
For: Anyone with a Roku TV, Roku Streaming Stick, or Roku Express. Works the same on all of them.
Setup steps
- 1Press Home on the remote → Settings → Accessibility.
- 2Captions mode → set to "On always" so captions appear on every show, every time.
- 3Audio guide (screen reader for low vision) → ON. Adjust speed and volume to taste.
- 4Text size → Large. Menus and the home screen become readable from the couch.
- 5High contrast → ON for sharper menu colors.
- 6On the Roku remote: hold the microphone button and say "Turn on captions" or "Open Netflix" — voice search skips typing.
- 7Bedtime sleep timer: Settings → System → Time → Sleep timer → pick 30, 60, or 90 minutes.
What this unlocks
- •Voice remote works on every Roku since 2017 — no typing on the on-screen keyboard.
- •Audio guide reads every menu aloud, so a person with low vision can pick a show without help.
- •Captions stay ON forever, even after a power outage.
- •Private listening: open the Roku app on the phone, plug headphones into the phone, hear the TV through the headphones — great for hard-of-hearing partners.
- •Free Roku mobile app turns the phone into a giant remote with a keyboard, if the physical remote is hard to use.