Sony Exhibits at the World's Largest International Conference on Accessibility

"CSUN Assistive Technology Conference 2023"

TOKYO, March 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Sony Group Corporation (Sony) announced today that Sony will have an exhibit at the world's largest international conference on accessibility, the "CSUN Assistive Technology Conference 2023", taking place in Anaheim, California, March 13 to 17, 2023.

Sony's purpose is to "fill the world with emotion, through the power of creativity and technology." Sony works to incorporate accessibility into its products and services to help build an inclusive future where everyone can share the moment. The exhibit will showcase Sony's products and various initiatives addressing accessibility.

Main Exhibits

• BRAVIA™ 4K LCD TV

BRAVIA offers a variety of accessibility features that assist with vision and hearing. At the Sony booth, guests will be able to experience the Text Magnification function,^{*1 *2} which magnifies the text on the screen, and the Screen Reader function,^{*1 *3} which reads aloud TV settings. In addition, with a BRAVIA equipped with Google Assistant, users can use voice commands to search for videos on YouTube™, turn the power on/off, adjust the volume, and other things, simply by talking to the TV.^*4

• PlayStation^® 5

PlayStation strives to create a gaming experience without barriers that fits the needs of players of all abilities. The PlayStation 5 console features display and customization options like zoom, color correction and text size adjustments, a screen reader feature, closed captions and chat transcription. Players can also customize button assignments on the DualSense wireless controller and adjust the intensity of the vibration and adaptive trigger effects. PlayStation Studios also creates a variety of industry-defining software titles with an array of vision, hearing and motor accessibility settings.

• LinkBuds Truly Wireless Earbuds

LinkBuds have been created with a unique open ring design that lets users tune into the outside world whenever they want, without compromising the listening experience. The ring driver unit features an open central diaphragm for audio transparency, so chatting with friends and connecting to surroundings is easy. Because the earbuds are small, light and do not block ears, users can keep them in all the time, confident they will not miss ambient sounds from the environment even while listening to music or participating in online meetings.

• Alpha™ Interchangeable-Lens Camera and Cyber-shot^® Retinal Projection Camera Kit

Sony's select digital cameras carry a screen reader feature^*5 that reads menus and video playback screens aloud to assist users' camera operation. As a technology showcase, Sony will demonstrate this screen reader feature supporting up to 10 languages on an Alpha camera, which is also capable of enlarging the menu screen.

Visitors to the Sony booth will be able to experience the DSC-HX99 RNV kit, the retinal projection camera kit, which consists of Sony's DSC-HX99 Cyber-shot^® and a RETISSA NEOVIEWER viewfinder^*6 that employs laser retinal projection technology from QD Laser, Inc.

• Xperia 1 IV

Each series of Xperia™ smartphones powered by Android OS are equipped with accessibility features that assist with vision, hearing, and action, such as TalkBack (the Google screen reader) and improved visibility of operation screens.

Since 2021, Sony's software team has been playing a central role in improving some of the applications with input from employees with disabilities at Sony/Taiyo Corporation. Visitors to the Sony's booth will be able to experience Xperia smartphones and their accessibility features. As a technology showcase, Sony will exhibit one feature that informs the user the horizontal and vertical measurement information of the screen through sound when taking photos using the Photography Pro.

• Self-fitting Over-the-Counter (OTC) Hearing Aids (only in the U.S. market)

Sony launched two self-fitting OTC hearing aids^*7 in the U.S. market in October 2022 and will have them on display: the CRE-C10, a sleek and discreet design that is virtually invisible and the CRE-E10, which comes with Bluetooth^® and has a streaming music playback function.^*8 A dedicated smartphone application allows users to create a hearing profile their hearing . Visitors to the booth will be able to try some of the functions developed for these products.

In addition to the exhibition, Sony will hold Conference Sessions to present some of our Accessibility initiatives.

• Getting Closer to People Through Accessibility Initiatives

Shigeki Ishizuka, Vice Chairman, Sony Group Corporation, and Neal Manowitz, President and COO of Sony Electronics North America, send messages regarding Sony's accessibility. Sony's ongoing accessibility initiatives will be introduced, such as collaboration with organizations for people with disabilities and the latest products which are accessible.

• Navigation Drone Using Light Touch Contact

Sony is working to create ideas and develop technologies related to assistive technology for the future. As one of its research themes, we will give a presentation on a demonstration experiment of a navigation system utilizing light touch contact^*9 and drones, which aims to enable people with visual impairments to move safely and independently to their destinations.

• Accessible Setup Experience for Sony's BRAVIA with Google TV 

Sony and Google will explain how they developed an independent TV setup experience for customers who use screen readers.

For further details on Sony's exhibit, please refer to the website.

1. Screen reader and text magnification functions comply with U.S. regulations.
2. Text magnification is available for applications designed to use this feature.
3. Screen reader is available only in some regions and some languages, and for applications designed to use this feature.
4. An internet connection is necessary to use the Google Assistant.
5. The screen reader function is currently limited to select North American models (when set to English), and only supports some settings and operations during video playback. Sony plans to expand supported menus, languages, and regions in the future. Supported languages vary by sales region. North America model is used at the CSUN.
6. The RETISSA NEOVIEWER is not a medical equipment and is not intended to treat or assist in specific diseases or to correct vision. It may be difficult to recognize images depending on the part and degree of impairment (such as when the function of the retina is degraded). The name has been changed from the conventional name RETISSA SUPER CAPTURE. RETISSA and NEOVIEWER are registered trademarks or trademarks of QD Laser.
7. Self-fitting OTC hearing aids are FDA Class2 medical devices that can be purchased without prescriptions and for use by individuals 18 years of age or older with perceived mild to moderate hearing impairment.
8. Only compatible with iOS devices.
9. Light touch contact is a phenomenon in which postural control is improved while standing using subtle contact of a level that does not require mechanical action.

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SOURCE Sony Electronics, Inc.