Audio description

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5 ways to experience digital accessibility on Global Accessibility Awareness Day

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As today is Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD), we thought that we would encourage some involvement amongst the community so that you can gain a first-hand awareness of accessibility. We hope this is an eye-opener and maybe a little bit of a mid-week challenge.

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Taxonomy:

Digital technology

Web

Practical web accessibility

Digital media and technology:

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VoiceView improves vision-impaired access on budget-priced Kindles

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Earlier this week Amazon introduced text-to-voice accessory ‘VoiceView‘ to its more affordable Kindle models, starting with the Kindle Paperwhite (7^th gen). Up until now, this feature was only available on the company’s more expensive Kindle Fire tablets.

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Taxonomy:

Inclusion

Digital media and technology:

eReaders

Amazon Kindle 3

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ACCAN calls on networks to use windfall to improve accessibility

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The Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN) has called on the free-to-air networks to use some of the windfall from a 25% cut in licence fees announced in this year’s budget to increase captioning levels and introduce audio description.

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TV & video

ACCAN, Australian Communications Consumer Action Network

Sensory impairment

Captions

Closed captions

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Movies with AD on iTunes, May 2016

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Last month we provided an up-to-date list of audio described (AD) movies in the Australian iTunes store. Some of the listed titles had specific versions that were marked: (For blind viewers). However, there have been some very recent changes to the way that some movies with AD are presented on Australian iTunes.

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Digital Video Service

Digital media and technology:

iOS

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Netflix improves accessibility for the blind

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In a court settlement with the American Council of the Blind (ACB), Netflix has agreed to include more audio description on its streamed content and DVD rental services, as well as making its website and mobile applications accessible for blind people who use screen readers.

Little boy watching TV with his back towards us

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International policy and legislation

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U.K. Government fails to act on video-on-demand accessibility

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The organisation Action on Hearing Loss has expressed disappointment at the U.K. Government’s failure to set targets or introduce legislation for the provision of access services (captions, signing and audio description) on video-on-demand (VOD) services.

Left hand pointing a remote control at a Smart TV displaying a Video on Demand app

Taxonomy:

TV & video

Video

Ofcom, Office of Communications

Television

International policy and legislation

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TV in UK exceeds captioning and audio description quotas

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Television channels in the UK continue to deliver access at much higher levels than the regulated quotas. All channels are covered by the access requirements and any exemptions are generally due to very low levels of audience share.

Man sitting at a mixing panel in a television studio gallery

Taxonomy:

TV & video

Television

Ofcom, Office of Communications

TV access

Disability

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Egypt gets a taste of Hotel Transylvania 2 with live AD

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In a first for Egypt and the Middle East, the popular new children’s fantasy-comedy movie Hotel Transylvania 2 was screened in Cairo with live Audio Description (AD), which is the first time this has been done in the region.

Image of Hotel Transylvania 2 from the official Sony Pictures movie site gallery

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