DBCDE, Department of Broadband Communications and the Digital Economy

Along with funding for DisabilityCare and education reform, funding to the ABC was boosted by $109.4 million. This money is allocated to news and current affairs and digital delivery of programming. What is noticeably absent is funding for an audio description service. Audio description is essential for providing equal access to television for people who are blind and vision impaired.

An ongoing service trial would provide viewers who are blind and vision impaired with a similar service to the 2012 technical trial, while allowing the ABC to resolve any issues involved in delivering AD nationally.

The ‘It’s as easy as ABC’ campaign is calling on supporters to write to Senator Stephen Conroy, the Minister for Communications, and Mark Scott, the ABC’s Managing Director, asking them to proceed with the service trial this year.

From August to November, 14 hours of ABC1 was broadcast with an additional audio track describing visual elements for people who are blind or vision impaired. The purpose of the trial was for the ABC to assess the possibility of providing a permanent AD service similar to those available in the UK, North America, Europe and New Zealand.

Following the 13-week trial of AD on ABC1, which ended on 4 November, we are now waiting on the ABC to release its report on the technical aspects of delivering the service.

Speaking in the Senate yesterday, Senator Ludlam moved a motion that requested the Senate to officially note:

Senator Stephen Conroy, Minister for Communications, Broadband and the Digital Economy, announced the decision in a media release.“After a successful trial in Victoria, talking set-top boxes will be made available to eligible recipients who receive a maximum rate pension because they are legally blind, or because they care for a child who is legally blind,” Senator Conroy said.

Senator Conroy made the announcement during a radio interview with Robyn Gaile, Executive Officer of Blind Citizens Australia, on the New Horizons program, which is broadcast on Radio for the Print Handicapped and community radio stations across Australia.

The five discussion papers are on: