How to make using television remotes controls easier to use

Watching television is a very popular recreational activity. Today, everyone uses remote controls to operate their televisions. The problem is that most low vision patients have a great deal of difficultly operating television remote controls. The buttons are tiny and hard to see. There are strategies that can make operating remote controls much easier. First, one of our axioms is that bigger is better. Many cable companies offer large button remote controls for free. If a cable provider does not provide free television remotes, they can be purchased for about twenty dollars. We also apply brightly colored bump dots to strategic buttons; the power, volume control, and channel up down buttons. These dots are easier to see because of their bright colors and can be felt. The bump dots in combination with holding the remote under a good light makes things much easier.

Helping people have an easier time operating their television remote is fairly simple. Yet, when patients can use their remotes to watch television, it really improves their quality of life.