Forum Discussion

valeriehall's avatar
valeriehall
Newbie
3 years ago

Remote Ease of Use for Disabilities

My mom spends a lot of time watching TV. We recently replaced her regular TV and external Roku device with a Roku smart TV. She lacs fine motor skills due to her disability and struggles with the sma...
remotes
sigfan69's avatar
sigfan69
Newbie
3 years ago

I am so grateful you posted this question. I am 53 years old and struggle with the Roku remote all the time. I have severe physical injuries and got retired at the age of 46. Due to my multiple Traumatic Brain Injuries and the fact my left frontal lobe is dying I also have fine motor skill issues. I have severe arthritis and find the Roku remote maddeningly difficult to hold onto. I'm dropping the thing all the time and the volume buttons on the side are horribly designed. I don't have the resources to buy surround sound that I could control with a better designed remote. I feel like Roku is being irresponsibly short sighted by not having an available remote for special needs folks or senior citizens. I have a lot of trouble processing instructions and being told to just use an app on my phone to control my TV is a useless fix to this problem. Roku needs to design a remote for special needs folks.

  • Anonymous's avatar
    Anonymous
    3 years ago

    Hi sigfan69

    Welcome to the Roku Community!

    I'm sorry to hear about the difficulties you're experiencing with your Roku remote. It sounds like you have a number of challenges that make it difficult for you to use the device effectively. I can understand why you feel frustrated with the situation and believe that Roku should do more to design a remote that is accessible to everyone, including those with special needs.

    Thanks for sharing your thoughts and bringing this to our attention! That's a great idea! We'll send it over to the dev team. Who knows, you may see your suggestion implemented in a future update. You can check out our blog at http://blog.roku.com for the latest news and upcoming updates.

    While Roku does not currently offer a remote specifically designed for people with disabilities or special needs, there may be some options available that could help you to use your existing remote more easily. For example, there are third-party accessories available that can be attached to your remote to make it easier to grip or operate. Additionally, there may be some smartphone apps or voice assistants that could be used to control your Roku device, which could be a helpful alternative to using the physical remote.


    Warm regards,
    Lianna