Go Pro Today

Study: Blind People Watch TV About as Much as Sighted People

Ninety-six percent of visually impaired adults watch TV on a regular basis, according to Comcast and the American Foundation for the Blind

| February 17, 2018 @ 11:00 AM
geordi star trek next generation blind tv

Star Trek

The majority of people with visual disabilities watch four or more hours of television per day, which is almost as much as the general public, a new survey by Comcast and the American Foundation for the Blind found.

That’s compared to a Nielsen study from 2016 that found the average person watched about five hours of television per day.

“It’s a myth to think that you can’t enjoy television just because you have a visual disability,” said Tom Wlodkowski, Vice President of Accessibility for Comcast, who was born blind.

Also Read: Julie Plec to Direct Untitled 'Roswell' Reboot Pilot for the CW

The survey, which found that 96 percent of visually impaired adults watch television on a regular basis, was conducted by Global Strategy Group and surveyed 626 visually impaired adults, including 277 adults with “no functional vision” between Oct. 9 and Nov. 27, 2017.

The results were weighted to correspond to national data about the visually impaired population, and designed to be compatible with screen readers and screen magnifiers.

Additionally, the survey found that  81 percent watch more than an hour per day and 55 percent watch four or more hours per day.

Also Read: Bokeem Woodbine to Lead CBS Drama Pilot 'Main Justice'

But it’s not always easy for the visually impaired to enjoy their favorite shows: of those surveyed, 65 percent encountered problems with looking up what’s on TV, and 53 percent experienced difficulty in following along with key visual elements. Less than half surveyed were aware of assistive technologies like video description and talking TV guides.

How Much TV Homes Would Cost on Airbnb, From 'Stranger Things,' to 'Roseanne,' to 'Seinfeld' (Exclusive)

1 of 13

What would the “Friends” apartment rent for nightly? A lot more than this ramshackle “Always Sunny” pad

Ever wanted to live like your favorite TV family? Well, now you can put a dollar figure on that dream.  

An Empire Today study, which is exclusive to TheWrap, priced popular television show residences as if they were listed on a short-term rental site, a la Airbnb or VRBO. The home improvement company then cross-referenced the fictional characters' homes to actual comparable listings on those real rental sites.  

Scroll through to see them. 

Also Read: Valentine’s Day Viewing Guide: 10 Movies for All Relationship Statuses (Photos)

View In Gallery

Related Content