Improving accessibility to digital television

1. Sixth Framework Programme – e-Inclusion Information Day: 19 April 2005 Improving accessibility to digital television Peter Bourton, Senior Policy Executive, Ofcom 11 April 2004

2. Ofcom – mission and duties • Ofcom is the regulator of electronic communications services and television programme services for the United Kingdom. • Ofcom’s mission is to further the interests of citizen-consumers through a regulatory regime which, where appropriate, encourages competition. • Ofcom has specific duties to help citizens and consumers who are older or disabled: • It must encourage the development of domestic communications apparatus capable of being used with ease by the widest range of individuals, including disabled people. • It must ensure that television services provide subtitling, signing and audio description for disabled people on a growing proportion of programming • It must ensure that electronic programme guides (EPGs) can be used by people with hearing and / or visual impairments for the same purposes as everyone else, where practicable. • Ofcom has continued work started by its predecessor bodies to develop ‘clean audio’ television sound tracks for the benefit of hearing-impaired viewers.

3. Accessible EPGs: the need • Many millions of European citizens have permanent and uncorrectable visual and / or hearing impairments. • Several Member States now require television broadcasters to provide access services (subtitling and signing for the deaf / hearing, and audio description for the blind / visually impaired) for some programming. • Many Member States are also moving towards a future where digital television in its various forms (digital terrestrial, satellite, cable and IPTV) will replace analogue television and make the provision of access services easier. • Increasingly, consumers will be dependent on electronic programme guides (EPGs) for access to and information about television services. EPGs can be a rich source of information and support for consumers. But people with visual and hearing impairments are likely to suffer partial or total exclusion unless EPGs can be made more accessible.

4. Accessible EPGs: the opportunity • Digital television, enhanced by interactive broadcast and online services such as EPGs, will remain vital to the inclusion in society of people with hearing and / or visual impairments. Work on making EPGs more accessible could provide a bridge into making other interactive services easier to use for disabled people. • Ofcom would welcome co-operation with other parties in Europe on research into improving the accessibility of EPGs. Possibilities include EPGs that can: • be voice-activated, and ‘speak’ to confirm viewers’ instructions (‘voice in, voice out’) • voice programme information • sort programmes by availability of access service • provide an output into a screen-readable device for blind users • display information in a variety of different formats, to assist people with different visual impairments.

5. Accessible EPGs: research possibilities • Ofcom would welcome co-operation with other parties in Europe on research into improving the accessibility of EPGs. • Research possibilities include EPGs that can: • be voice-activated, and ‘speak’ to confirm viewers’ instructions (‘voice in, voice out’) • voice programme information • sort programmes by availability of access service • provide an output into a screen-readable device for blind users • display information in a variety of different formats, to assist people with different visual impairments.