TV & video

Channel 4 seeks viewer feedback about its accessibility services

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Channel 4 has created a survey to capture as much feedback as possible from people who view their programming with captions (subtitles in the UK), audio description, signing on TV, or on the station’s on-demand service.

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Apple announces minor software accessibility improvements at WWDC 2016 conference

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Apple has announced a number of new features in its range of products at its annual World Wide Developer Conference (WWDC), with a focus on incremental updates and greater Siri integration.

The conference, which focuses on supporting developers to create new products in the Apple software ecosystem, highlighted a number of improvements across its desktop, mobile, watch and TV set-top-box operating systems, some of which are likely to benefit people with disabilities.

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Blind or vision impaired

Deaf or hearing impaired

Digital media and technology:

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New Zealand holds an inquiry into captioning

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New Zealand’s Government Administration Committee has announced an inquiry into captioning, and is seeking submissions from the public.

Remote control being pointed at a TV with captions at the bottom of the screen

The inquiry’s terms of reference include:

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Audio description trial on iview ending soon

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The trial of audio description on the ABC’s online iview service, which commenced in April 2015, will soon be drawing to a close.

ABC iView logo

Taxonomy:

Blind or vision impaired

News

Audio description

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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

News

ACCAN, Australian Communications Consumer Action Network

Sensory impairment

Blind or vision impaired

Deaf or hearing impaired

Captions

Closed captions

Audio description

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BBC publishes research on improving live caption timing

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The BBC has released details of experiments it has undertaken which prove that it’s practical to reduce the delay in live captions appearing on the screen.

Young woman watches the TV with captions

Live captions, which are created as a program goes to air, are often frustrating for viewers because there is a delay (on average around 5 seconds, but sometimes much longer) between the audio and the captions appearing.

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Deaf or hearing impaired

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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Taxonomy:

Digital Video Service

Blind or vision impaired

Audio description

Digital media and technology:

iOS

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ABC seeks feedback on iview audio description trial

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This month marks the anniversary of the trial of audio description for the blind or vision impaired on iview, and the ABC has released a survey in which it asks viewers for their feedback on the service.

Woman smiles as she wears headphones while watching TV

Taxonomy:

Blind or vision impaired

Solutions

Inclusion

Digital media and technology:

App reviews

Technologies

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

Taxonomy:

Blind or vision impaired

News

Audio description

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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