For many people who are blind or have low vision, like me, the smart speaker has quietly replaced the traditional table radio. A voice command has replaced the physical tuning dial.
The real power of that change is independence.
Instead of navigating an inaccessible touchscreen, searching through an application, or operating a complicated remote control, a listener can ask for a station by name:
“Play BBC World Service.”
“Play WWOZ.”
“Play jazz radio.”
When the command works, the experience is remarkably close to traditional radio. The listener asks for a station, hears the stream begin and fills the room with music, news, sports or conversation without relying on a screen.
Voice Removes a Familiar Barrier
Smart speakers make audio easier to access by replacing many visual controls with spoken interaction. A listener does not have to locate a small button, interpret an unlabeled icon or move through several application menus merely to start a station.
That simplicity helps explain why radio remains one of the most natural uses for smart speakers.
British research reported by The Guardian found that participants commonly used smart speakers for music, radio, news and weather. Some disabled participants said the technology gave them greater independence at home.
The research also found that people often listened to more radio and discovered a wider range of stations after adopting a smart speaker.
Read The Guardian’s report on smart speakers and independence
A Possible Connection to Reduced Loneliness
A recent study examined 41 people with visual impairments who used an interconnected Amazon Echo, iPhone and Apple Watch system for seven days.
Researchers found a negative correlation between smart-speaker use and perceived loneliness among participants with visual impairments. In practical terms, participants who used the speaker more frequently tended to report less loneliness.
The study was small and short, so it does not prove that a smart speaker by itself cures loneliness. It does suggest that voice-controlled access to information, entertainment and connected services may contribute to a greater sense of independence and connection.
The study also included 38 sighted participants and used the three-item UCLA Loneliness Scale to measure perceived loneliness.
Hyung Nam Kim and Imonkhae Ugboya of North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University published the research in the Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness. It was not a U.S. government study.
Accessibility Is Receiving Greater Recognition
Governments and service organizations are also investing in audio technology for people who cannot use conventional print.
In 2017, Chinese authorities announced that 200,000 digital reading machines would be provided to 400 libraries equipped with reading rooms for blind and visually impaired patrons. The machines were intended to provide free access to resources including digital audiobooks and electronic Braille.
Those devices should not be confused with XiaoDu, XiaoAi or ordinary consumer smart speakers. The documented initiative concerned specialized digital reading machines placed in libraries, not a national distribution of household smart speakers directly to visually impaired residents.
The initiative nevertheless demonstrates official recognition of a larger principle: spoken and audio-based technology can provide access when printed or visually organized information creates a barrier.
Stations Must Be Easy to Find by Voice
A smart speaker is only as useful as its ability to find the requested station.
Stations should maintain:
- A clear and consistent station name
- Accurate call letters
- Correct location and format information
- A dependable stream address
- Updated listings with major radio directories
- Distinctive identifiers that prevent confusion with similarly named stations
This is especially important for blind and low-vision listeners. If a voice assistant repeatedly selects the wrong station, plays a similarly named podcast or reports that the stream is unavailable, the supposed accessibility benefit disappears.
Web Radio Info recommends testing station commands on Alexa, Siri and Google Assistant rather than assuming that a directory or website listing guarantees successful voice access.
Testing should include more than one command. A station may respond correctly when requested by its call letters but fail when requested by its brand name, format or location. The same command may also produce different results across competing voice assistants.
Radio’s Familiar Experience, Rebuilt Around Voice
The technology has changed, but the basic experience remains familiar.
A small device sits in the room. The listener asks for a station. A human voice, a baseball game, a jazz program, or the evening news begins playing.
The smart speaker has not replaced what people value about radio. At its best, it has removed the dial and made the listening experience easier to reach.
Sources
- The Guardian: Smart speakers help people living alone feel less lonely
- Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness: Reduced Loneliness in People With Visual Impairments Using Interconnected Smart Technologies
- Xinhua: China to improve digital reading resources for visually impaired
- China Daily: Books without barriers
About the Author
William Lee is the Accessibility Lead at Web Radio Info Inc., a Clearwater, Florida organization dedicated to making digital audio fully accessible to the visually impaired community. William specializes in rigorously testing smart speakers, screen readers, and mobile applications to identify digital barriers. His work helps listeners navigate broadcasts, podcasts, and live events using voice-first and screen-free technology.