InternationalTelecommunicationUnion

What do we mean by “Accessible Audio Visual Media” for Persons with

Disabilities and Why it Matters

Susan Schorr, Head Special Initiatives Division

International Telecommunication Union, Telecommunication Development Bureau

ITU-EBU Meeting for Central and Eastern Europe on e-Accessibility in Television Broadcasting

3-4 December 2013; Zagreb, Croatia

Introduction and Background

1 billion people live with some form of disability

3

ICT Accessibility in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities - CRPD

Article 9 of the CRPD defines ICT accessibility as an integral part of accessibility rights on par with transportation and the physical environment

Article 30 of the CRPD requires State Parties to “take all appropriate measures to ensure that Persons with Disabilities . . . enjoy access to television programmes [and] films . . . in accessible formats.

4

Defining Persons with disabilities

Disability is the interaction between persons with impairments and attitudinal and environmental barriers that hinders their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others

5

What kind of barriers do they face?

Deafness/hard of hearing Blindness/low vision Limited motion/reduced

dexterity Impaired cognition

Addressing Accessibility is good for everyone

Accessibility features also help: aging populations

following fast dialogue or slang immigrants and refugees

promote social inclusion the illiterate new business models

7

Accessibility options for deaf/hard of hearing

Captioning or subtitles Same language (intra-

lingual) Foreign language(s) (inter-

lingual) Closed or open Color-coded Not helpful for illiterate

Signing

8

Signing and how to caption

9

Learn how captions are made: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2K9-JPIPjg

Accessibility options for sight impairments

For the blind and people with low vision Audio description or video description

For TV, film and theatre The who, what, why, where and

when Audio subtitles or spoken subtitles

Reads the subtitles aloud Good for foreign language

programmes

10

Learn how AD changes lives: http://www.jostrans.org/issue20/int_romero.php

Accessibility options for reduced mobility and dexterity

People with reduced mobility and dexterity Well designed remote controls and EPGs

Accessibility keys, tactile and audible feedback, large, well-spaced keys, etc.

Formal help schemes for the elderly and those with registered disabilities to tune or retune set top boxes or TV receivers (provided by volunteers, paid staff or informally by friends and family)

ITU BDT Making TV Accessible Report

http://www.itu.int/ITU-D/sis/PwDs/index.phtml

12

BDT Report, prepared by Peter Looms, Chairman of ITU-T Focus Group on Audiovisual Media Accessibility

Looks at how TV can be made more accessible

Timely given the transition from analogue to digital TV

BDT publishing a model ICT accessibility policy report

Model ICT Accessibility Policy Report

Provides policy guidelines and legal and regulatory framework

• Designed to help policy makers and regulators develop their own accessibility policies and regulations

• Modular design includes stand-alone sections on policies for:• Mobile accessibility• Audio visual media accessibility• Web accessibility• Public procurement

• Also identifies and explains changes needed for existing ICT legislation and disability-specific legislation

• Reviewed by industry and government stakeholders • Planned for publication by ITU and G3ict in early 2014

13

http://www.itu.int/en/ITU-D/Digital-Inclusion/Persons-with-Disabilities/Pages/Persons-with-Disabilities.aspx

Conclusion and Recommendations

Accessible TV is required by the UN CRPD Accessible TV is good for everyone The switch to digital TV is an ideal time to develop

access services offers opportunity to provide a greater range of

possible access services and increased flexibility Broadcaster can offer “closed” access services, i.e.

where users decide whether or not to use them Accessibility involves producing, distributing and

making users aware of accessibility features and how to use them

InternationalTelecommunicationUnion

Thank you!

susan.schorr@itu.int

http://www.itu.int/en/ITU-D/Digital-Inclusion/Persons-with-Disabilities/Pages/Persons-with-Disabilities.aspx