ABC launches verbal-narration content for blind and vision-impaired people

The audio-described content is available on the ‘ABC iview iOS’ app and will eventually be rolled out to the Android app and the iview website as well. It is the first time a streaming service has introduced audio-described content in Australia.
“Introducing audio-described content on ABC iview is a great start to addressing issues of content accessibility for consumers who are blind or have a vision impairment,” Australian Communications Consumer Action Network’s disability policy advisor, Mr Wayne Hawkins, said. “ACCAN has been calling on the Australian TV networks to introduce audio-described content for a number of years.”
While it is a positive step for improving accessibility for those who are blind or vision impaired, there is still a lack of audio-described content on broadcast television in Australia. ABC and the free-to-air networks don’t offer such content on their broadcast TV channels.
ACCAN has also noticed a lack of audio-described content available on the streaming services, Netflix, Stan and Presto. Those services have given many Australians legal access to TV shows and movies, but have left out blind and vision-impaired consumers.
“It would be great to see easy to access audio-described content on broadcast television and on the streaming services sooner rather than later so that all Australians can have equal access to entertainment content,” Mr Hawkins said.
In the US, Netflix has recently drawn criticism for its lack of audio-described content following the launch of its new series, Marvel’s Daredevil, as its main character is a blind superhero.
ACCAN encourages all consumers who could benefit from audio-described content to download the ABC iview app or try out the content on when it’s available on the iview website.
Consumers can find more information on the trial from ACCAN’s website accan.org.au.