Access to digital television for blind and 
partially sighted people
Leen Petré
European Campaigns Manager
Royal National Institute of the Blind
leen.petre@rnib.org.uk

European picture
?	European Blind Union
?	7.4 Million Europeans are blind or partially sighted
?	a large proportion of these are elderly people
?	"we like watching television just like other people for entertainment, 
for information, to be able to participate in social life"

Research in the UK
?	RNIB Needs Survey, 1991: 94% of blind and partially sighted 
people use television as a key source of news and information, as 
well as entertainment. 

Research in the UK
?	The RNIB Needs Survey, 2002: 
?	2 million people with serious sight problems
?	television key source of information
?	680,000 people experience particular difficulty watching TV
?	500,000 people would want to watch more films, soap operas and 
other programmes

Digital switchovers: when?  
?	overview of dates under discussion for switchover in EU 
countries (collated January 2003)
?	2005: Norway
?	2006: Finland, Italy
?	2007: Portugal, Denmark
?	2008: France
?	2010: UK, Germany, Spain
?	Not fixed: Austria, Belgium, Greece, Ireland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, 
Sweden	

Digital switchovers: scope for change: 
?	General: emphasis on  benefits that digital TV can bring 
?	European Blind Union: challenge to secure full and equal access to 
digital television for blind and partially sighted people

Issues to be tackled: 
?	Audio description
?	On-screen navigation
?	interfaces 

Audio description: what?
?	an additional narration 
?	fits in between dialogue 
?	to describe body language, facial expression, scenery, action, 
costumes 
?	aim: help a person with a sight problem follow what is happening


Audio description: where?
?	Analogue? Germany and France: double mono, Italy: via radio, 
Netherlands: audio-subtitling....
?	Digital? UK: pre-mixed (Satellite) and receiver mixed (Digital 
Terrestial)
?	Where not? Denmark, Portugal, Greece, ...

On-screen navigation
?	you need to select channels, programmes and services on screen
?	solution: alternative method of access and navigation needed 

Accessible interfaces
?	without remote control you can not use your television
?	accessibility ideally built into interfaces using design for all 
principles
?	and accommodate any add-in product or service that provides 
accessibility
How important is this for blind and partially 
sighted people?
?	"Normally after the first ten minutes of a film I give up. Without the 
description I would not have been able to watch it".
?	"Now I have to ask someone to describe a programme for me, I 
would love to be able to watch programmes independently without 
relying on the help of others."

Possible EU level solutions for accessibility 
of digital TV?


Equipment problems:  

?	project defining user requirements
?	European standardisation of receiving equipment: coordinating 
manufacturers and broadcasters for benefit of disabled end-users, 
CENELEC "TV for all" project . 

European benchmarking report on making 
digital TV accessible
?	generate exchange of experience and good practice between 
countries
?	based on National Action Plans submitted to the European 
Commission

national action plans on:
?	existing level of subtitling, signing, audio description and audio 
subtitling in country
?	production and delivery methods
?	targets set with representatives of disabled users 
?	measures to reach those targets, including obligations for 
broadcast service providers, manufacturers of TV sets
?	measures to ensure enforcement

Conclusion:  

?	The key issues are: 
?	solving problems with equipment to ensure reception of 
audiodescription and enable navigation
?	increasing level of audiodescription broadcast

2003 European Year :  

The year broadcasters, manufacturers and decision-makers will show 
the necessary political will?