Deaf/hearing impaired TV, DVD, Cinema & the Arts news

At last, some good news on the captioning front. The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) reported in late December 2016 of a high level of compliance with captioning targets during the 2015-2016 financial year. However, their reporting period did not cover the back end of last year which saw multiple captioning issues emerge on the ABC and other networks, which proves more work needs to be done.

Now in its 12th year, the ‘Diverse-CITY’ exhibition is running up until the evening of 21 December. It showcases a diverse range of artworks from artists of all ages who are living with a disability, or an experience of mental ill health, and who come from culturally diverse backgrounds across Victoria.

The Disability Commissioner, Alastair McEwin, has blasted the decision last month from the Australian Broadcasting Commission (ABC) to cut back transcription of some news and current affairs programs on TV and radio, as a “backward step” for accessibility.

An estimated one in nine New Zealanders use captions when watching TV. Up until recently, live broadcasts of Parliament weren’t captioned, meaning that a significant number of people were unable to observe their elected representatives at work. But following a campaign begun in 2011, all that is in the past.