35,000 units to be distributed from late July through year-end
'We see it as our responsibility to create an environment where everyone can enjoy content without barriers'
Samsung Electronics has been selected for the seventh consecutive year as the supplier for the government's free TV distribution program for people with visual and hearing impairments. The company will supply 35,000 43-inch Full HD smart TVs on a rolling basis from late July through the end of the year.
The program, run by the Korea Communications Commission, distributes TVs equipped with specialized accessibility features to improve information access for people with visual and hearing disabilities. The Korea Audience and Media Foundation, an affiliate of the commission, selects recipients based on priority among applicants. Low-income beneficiaries receive the sets free of charge, while others pay a 100,000 won ($65) co-payment.
This year's models include a range of accessibility features designed to improve the viewing experience for people with visual and hearing impairments. Users with color blindness or color vision deficiency can benefit from a grayscale mode and SeeColors Mode, which allows individual adjustment of red, green and blue tones for a sharper picture.
An AI-powered automatic sign-language positioning feature adjusts subtitle placement in real time so viewers can follow both sign language and captions simultaneously without discomfort. A zoom function for specific screen areas also helps users with low vision navigate content more easily.
For visually impaired users, the TVs offer voice guidance for navigation menus along with controls for speech speed, pitch, gender and background sound, as well as a high-contrast display mode. For users with hearing impairments, the sets support caption separation, adjustable caption position and size, and multi-output audio.
Samsung Electronics said it continues to expand its accessibility technology, building features that account for diverse user needs from the earliest stages of product development.
"We see it as our responsibility to create an environment where everyone can enjoy TV content without barriers, and we are committed to developing accessibility technology," said Oh Chi-o, executive vice president of Samsung Electronics' Korea business division. "We will keep working to ensure that people can freely enjoy content through Samsung TVs."
Applications for the free TV program can be submitted at local community service centers or through the program's dedicated website.
go@heraldcorp.com
