Accessible TV Guides for the Blind and Vision Impaired
Author: Ian C. Langtree - Writer/Editor for Disabled World (DW)
Published: 2008/12/09 - Updated: 2026/04/13
Publication Type: Informative
Category Topic: Recreation - Entertainment - Related Publications
Contents: Synopsis - Introduction - Main - Insights, Updates
Synopsis: This information provides a curated list of accessible online television guides suited to blind and vision impaired users who need a straightforward way to look up TV show episode titles, air dates, and broadcast schedules. The listed resources include Sky's Accessible TV Listings, which covers audio described, subtitled, and signed programming across more than 100 channels; LocateTV for searching when specific shows or movies are airing; Epguides, which holds episode data for over 4,100 TV shows; and MyTVRSS, which lets users build personalized RSS feeds to receive automatic notifications when new episodes air. For people with visual impairments who rely on screen readers or feed readers rather than visually complex TV guide websites, these tools offer a practical and more usable alternative - Disabled World (DW).
- Topic Definition: Accessible TV Listings
Accessible TV listings are television schedule resources designed or adapted to be usable by people with visual impairments, including those who are blind or have low vision and rely on screen readers, RSS feed readers, or other assistive technologies to access information. Unlike standard TV guide websites - which often present schedules in complex visual grid formats incompatible with screen reading software - accessible TV listings prioritize clean text-based layouts, keyboard navigation, and machine-readable formats such as RSS, allowing users to search for shows, track episode air dates, and receive automatic updates without encountering the visual and structural barriers common to mainstream scheduling platforms.
Introduction
Online accessible TV guides for the blind and vision impaired to quickly lookup TV show episode titles and air dates. You can even select your favorite shows and then click "Create feed" to generate your own personalized RSS feed with all your TV shows for the day listed.
Main Content
Sky Accessible TV Listings Guide
Shows audio described, subtitled and signed programs being broadcast in the next 7 days on over 100 channels. Choose All Channels, or view programs by genre, eg Entertainment, Movies, Sports etc.
LocateTV
A quick search engine for TV listings, in particular for TV shows and Movies. Find out when your favorite shows or movies are shown on TV, see whether they are available online (both free and paid), and view where you can get them on DVD.
Epguides
A website where you can quickly look up TV show episode titles and air dates. The site currently has episode lists for over 4100 TV shows. You can search and browse them alphabetically, sort them by year, check out currently running shows and view a current and fall US TV schedule grid. You can subscribe to newly added shows, recently canceled shows (US only) and recently released US and UK TV DVDs, and get updates on your feed reader using RSS.
MyTVRSS
Tracks air dates for your favorite TV Shows and notify you when the new episodes are out. Stay on top of the latest episode release dates for your favorite TV shows by creating a special RSS feed that can be added to your feedreader. All you need to do is select the shows you would like MyTVRSS to track, click "Create Feed" and add the feed to your reader.
Insights, Analysis, and Developments
Editorial Note: TV listings have historically been among the least accessible corners of the internet - heavy on grids, pop-ups, and image-dependent layouts that screen readers struggle with. The tools listed here represent a different approach, prioritizing fast, text-based lookups and RSS delivery that put the user in control of how and when they receive schedule information. While some of these resources have evolved or changed since this article was first published, the underlying need they address has not - blind and vision impaired viewers deserve the same easy access to television schedules that sighted users take for granted, and knowing where to find accessible alternatives remains genuinely useful information for anyone navigating TV in that context - Disabled World (DW).
Author Credentials: Ian is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Disabled World, a leading resource for news and information on disability issues. With a global perspective shaped by years of travel and lived experience, Ian is a committed proponent of the Social Model of Disability-a transformative framework developed by disabled activists in the 1970s that emphasizes dismantling societal barriers rather than focusing solely on individual impairments. His work reflects a deep commitment to disability rights, accessibility, and social inclusion. To learn more about Ian's background, expertise, and accomplishments, visit his full biography.