If you find yourself having trouble watching or listening to Netflix, know that it offers an array of accessibility features you can enable that might make your experience much easier and more enjoyable.
Let’s go through all the accessibility features that Netflix offers and how to use them.
1. Audio Description
Audio description provides narration while you’re watching a movie or TV series on Netflix. You can hear about everything that’s happening on screen, including the environment the characters are in, how the set looks, description of the character’s facial expressions and movements, the costumes, and scene changes.
The audio description feature is designed with visually impaired people in mind. It can help build a better picture of the scene in your head.
To enable it, play something and select the Dialog icon. If the title has an audio description available, it will be listed as English - Audio Description (or similar for another language).
Depending on the device you’re watching Netflix on, the instructions might change, so refer to Netflix’s support page. You can find a list of shows and movies that support English audio descriptions on the Netflix audio description category page.
2. Closed Captions
Closed captions subtitles are a godsend, and not only for people with hearing loss. Many people watching movies in their native language still choose to enable them, simply because it’s much easier to follow what’s happening on screen. Not to mention, you won’t have to blast the volume up when dialogue is poorly balanced against other audio.
These subtitles not only display what the characters say, but also ambient noise around them. It could be a bird chirping, a water tap running, a bomb going off.
To enable the feature, play something and select the Dialog icon. In the Subtitles box, you’ll find English [CC] (or similar for another language) as an option.
The instructions might differ based on the device you’re watching Netflix on, for which you can refer to the Netflix support guide. Also, browse content that supports captions on the Netflix subtitles page.
3. Voice Commands
Voice-activated controls can help you search, browse, and manage the title you’re watching (play, pause, rewind, and so on). They’re helpful for people who have difficulties with mobility and those who are visually impaired. It’s much easier, not to mention faster, to say what you want than to scramble to find the proper controls.
Just say your assistant’s “wake word” and give your command. Like, “Hey, Alexa, open Netflix” or ‘‘Hey, Google, resume playing Stranger Things on Netflix."
If you have a voice-activated device, all you have to do is press its button for voice commands. Remote controls that accept these types of commands tend to have a button on them that you can’t miss. Press that microphone button, and say your command.
You can find a comprehensive list of supported voice commands on Netflix’s voice-activated controls page.
4. Font Size
If you’re watching Netflix on your phone and have difficulty reading the subtitles as they are, you can change the font size. You’d be surprised what a difference a few simple Netflix changes can make.
To do this, you must make the change in your phone’s accessibility section, not within the Netflix app. On iOS, enable Larger text. On Android, use the Font size slider.
5. Brightness
If you’re on the iOS or Android Netflix app, and it’s too dark to make out any detail or too bright, you can make adjustments.
While you’re watching something, tap the screen while it’s playing and use the brightness indicator, sliding it up and down until you find the best brightness level.
6. Playback Speed
If you can’t keep up with the speed of what you’re watching, or you’re used to faster speech, then you can adjust the playback speed. The setting is available on web browsers as well as on the Netflix app for both Android and iOS devices.
When watching something, go to the Speed icon, and select the speed you’d rather have. You can’t do this on your TV just yet, but having the ability to change it on your other devices is still a step in the right direction.
7. Screen Readers
If you have low vision, no vision, or fall anywhere on the spectrum in between, it’s likely that you’re using a screen reader. They’re invaluable in helping visually impaired people interact with digital content, letting them access websites and applications that would otherwise remain unreachable.
Netflix assures its subscribers that if you’re a screen reader user, you can use it to help you with the platform. It also provides a list of the screen readers that work well with it on its screen reader page, so you can check to see if the one you’re using is included.
Netflix Is Moving in the Right Direction With Accessibility
The accessibility features on Netflix are a good start. However, they’re not perfect and certainly have a long way to go before they meet the needs of even more people living with disabilities.
But at least the company is trying and setting a good example. The features they have available aim to help people with hearing, sight, or physical mobility concerns enjoy Netflix just like everyone else.
Another area that Netflix should look to improve for everyone is how to discover its content. The platform is full of secret codes that surface niche genres, but it’s sometimes unnecessarily confusing if you just want to find something new to watch.
