Three-Part Video Tutorial Series on the Amazon Echo Launched on the Wireless RERC’s YouTube Channel!

New owners of Amazon’s series of Echo devices with vision disabilities now have a step-by-step video guide they can reference to set up their Echos without sighted assistance.  This new three-part series of videos was produced by the Wireless RERC’s consumer outreach team.  The videos provide a thorough tutorial on the set-up and overall operation of the Amazon Echo.  

  • Part 1 – Guides the user through unboxing the Echo powering it up.
  • Part 2 - Educates the viewer on what the four top buttons do. 
  • Part 3 - Shows what to expect when synching the Alexa app and your new Echo.  

​While the videos are mainly geared towards users with vision disabilities, the videos also feature open captions and American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation to aid our viewers with hearing loss or use ASL as their primary form of communication.    These videos were produced in response to data we received from focus groups we conducted regarding smart home virtual intelligent assistants.   Participants who are blind or have low-vision particularly pointed out their need for sighted assistance in the initial set-up of these smart home devices, like the Echo or Google Home. They wanted to be able to set up the device independently.

You can view each of the videos at the links provided below:

A link to transcripts for all three of the videos can be found here: http://www.wirelessrerc.gatech.edu/scripts-accessible-out-box-and-set-experience-amazon-echo-people-vision-disabilities

We encourage you to subscribe to our YouTube channel, where we often upload videos related to the accessibility of consumer-focused wireless technology.  Be sure to hit the Like button for the videos, and leave a comment if you want.  We read all of your comments and will respond if you have a great new idea for a video we should do, or if you have a question related to the content of a video. Tell us how we’re doing!

Date of Publication: 
Wednesday, September 11, 2019

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The contents of this website were developed under a grant from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR grant number 90RE5025-01-00). NIDILRR is a Center within the Administration for Community Living (ACL), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The contents of this website do not necessarily represent the policy of NIDILRR, ACL, HHS, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.