Accessibility suggestions for blind and visually impaired users - AMNVOLT v4

[Fandango64]

My name is Sauro, I am a blind radio amateur (callsign IU5QLX) and a BCL HF enthusiast.
I recently purchased the AMNVOLT v4 receiver. It is a very interesting device due to its compact size, but it is extremely difficult to operate without being able to see the display. In my professional life, I work as an accessibility tester; I am well-versed in assistive technologies and screen readers. I understand that the processor used in this receiver likely lacks the resources to implement a full text-to-speech system for menus and sub-menus.
However, I would like to propose a few "low-resource" features that would significantly improve accessibility:
1.
Acoustic Feedback (Beeps): It would be incredibly helpful to implement a specific "beep" when the encoder returns to a "home" position or the start of a menu loop (e.g., the tuning screen). By having a clear starting point, a blind user could navigate settings like bandwidth or band selection simply by counting the physical clicks of the encoder.
2.
High-Contrast / AI-Friendly Display Mode: Among the various screen layouts, it would be great to have a specific mode designed for readability. This mode should feature a few essential elements (like the frequency) in very large, high-contrast characters. This would facilitate the use of AI-based mobile apps used by the blind, such as Be My Eyes, and would also greatly benefit users with low vision (hypovision).
Thank you for your time and for the great work you are doing with this device.
Best regards

[max-arnold]

Hello Sauro, thank you for the suggestions.

1. I did some experiments with audio feedback (beeps) about a year ago with no success. The CPU is not wired to the speaker, so it cannot produce any sounds. I tried modulating some SI4732 registers (thus affecting its audio output indirectly), but the results were unsatisfactory.

2. This was also considered a while ago, but unfortunately it will complicate the firmware and it's hard to design (esp. a bigger menu) because it will be impossible to achieve the feature parity with other screen layouts. So far the only accessibility option that has been added is "zoom menu". A high contrast color theme is an easy addition though. Would something like this screenshot in the user manual be useful?

Another possible direction would be a separate, accessibility-focused firmware with a simpler interface. For example, a community member created the minimal ATS Nano firmware (https://github.com/esp32-si4732/ats-nano) in fewer than 300 lines of code. Its small codebase could provide a practical starting point, and modern coding tools such as Claude or Codex may make it easier for interested community members to adapt and extend it.

Finally, what could work right now are remote control apps created by the ATS Mini community: https://esp32-si4732.github.io/ats-mini/remote.html#community-software Their accessibility will depend on the individual application, but this is a direction I am personally very interested in. One of my goals is to add support for more remote-control protocols, including CAT, so that the receiver can be used with a wider range of existing software - including, hopefully, software that works well with screen readers.

Hope that helps.

[Fandango64]

Thank you for your response. Regarding point No. 2, namely a high-contrast color theme: while it might not be useful for someone like me who is completely blind, it could certainly help many people whose vision is partially impaired, including due to age. Regarding the development of an accessibility-focused firmware, it might be a good idea, but it would require someone with the desire to build it, as I do not have sufficient technical skills. That said, since—as you mentioned—no beep can be sent to the speaker, I find it hard to see other ways to signal any screen or status change. As for remote control apps, they could be a partial solution, but they would defeat the receiver's main strengths—specifically its extreme portability and quick, on-the-spot usability. Since I was unable to use the receiver, I cannot check right now, but I seem to recall that one of the biggest issues I faced was navigating the menus. To explain: when turning the knob, say, 3 clicks to the left and pressing it to confirm a setting (such as bandwidth), after selecting it and pressing the knob again, the menu did not return to the first menu item after a few seconds of inactivity, but remained on the last selected item instead. This created problems for me because I could not remember how many clicks I needed to get back to the default top-level menu. Would it be possible to add a toggle switch in the Settings menu to enable/disable an automatic return to the home/first menu after a few seconds? I hope I am remembering this correctly and, above all, that I have explained it clearly enough. many thanks Sauro Il giorno mer 2 set 2026 alle ore 19:08 Max Arnold ***@***.***> ha scritto:

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Hello Sauro, thank you for the suggestions. 1. I did some experiments with audio feedback (beeps) about a year ago with no success. The CPU is not wired to the speaker, so it cannot produce any sounds. I tried modulating some SI4732 registers (thus affecting its audio output indirectly), but the results were unsatisfactory. 2. This was also considered a while ago, but unfortunately it will complicate the firmware and it's hard to design (esp. a bigger menu) because it will be impossible to achieve the feature parity with other screen layouts. So far the only accessibility option that has been added is "zoom menu". A high contrast color theme is an easy addition though. Would something like this screenshot <https://esp32-si4732.github.io/ats-mini/manual.html#main-screen> in the user manual be useful? Another possible direction would be a separate, accessibility-focused firmware with a simpler interface. Forexample, a community member created the minimal ATS Nano firmware (https://github.com/esp32-si4732/ats-nano) in fewer than 300 lines of code. Its small codebase could provide a practical starting point, and modern coding tools such as Claude or Codex may make it easier for interested community members to adapt and extend it. Finally, what could work right now are remote control apps created by the ATS Mini community: https://esp32-si4732.github.io/ats-mini/remote.html#community-software Their accessibility will depend on the individual application, but this is a direction I am personally very interested in. One of my goals is to add support for more remote-control protocols, including CAT, so that the receiver can be used with a wider range of existing software - including, hopefully, software that works well with screen readers. Hope that helps. — Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#366?email_source=notifications&email_token=AUTWCBB23SEWFPUZS44TZHT5NBHXTA5CNFSNUABIM5UWIORPF5TWS5BNNB2WEL2ENFZWG5LTONUW63SDN5WW2ZLOOQXTCOBSGUZTOMJSUZZGKYLTN5XKMYLVORUG64VFMV3GK3TUVRTG633UMVZF6Y3MNFRWW#discussioncomment-18253712>, or unsubscribe <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AUTWCBHD7U4U4HO4SU65ZIT5NBHXTAVCNFSNUABIKJSXA33TNF2G64TZHM4TINRTGM2TINJTHNCGS43DOVZXG2LPNY5TCMBXGM3DAMJRUF3AE> . Triage notifications, keep track of coding agent tasks and review pull requests on the go with GitHub Mobile for iOS <https://github.com/notifications/mobile/ios/AUTWCBG2LZKARUPTVVSV47T5NBHXTA5CNFSNUABIM5UWIORPF5TWS5BNNB2WEL2ENFZWG5LTONUW63SDN5WW2ZLOOQXTCOBSGUZTOMJSUZZGKYLTN5XKMYLVORUG64VFMV3GK3TUVJTG633UMVZF62LPOM> and Android <https://github.com/notifications/mobile/android/AUTWCBDEQZVM4LGY75LRUP35NBHXTA5CNFSNUABIM5UWIORPF5TWS5BNNB2WEL2ENFZWG5LTONUW63SDN5WW2ZLOOQXTCOBSGUZTOMJSUZZGKYLTN5XKMYLVORUG64VFMV3GK3TUVZTG633UMVZF6YLOMRZG62LE>. Download it today! You are receiving this because you authored the thread.Message ID: ***@***.***>

-- Sauro Fani.