OTTs dedicated to provide accessibility for viewers with disabilities: trade association

 OTTs dedicated to provide accessibility for viewers with disabilities: trade association

New Delhi: To guarantee that those with disabilities can enjoy the content that over-the-top (OTT) providers provide, the Indian Digital Media Industry Foundation (IDMIF) has reaffirmed its commitment to accessibility standards.

The information and broadcasting ministry requested feedback on the creation of accessibility guidelines for viewers with disabilities, and in response, IDMIF, which is a self-regulatory organization for over-the-top (OTT) platforms, released a statement. 

IDMIF, which comprises, among other services, Disney+ Hotstar, Zee5, Voot, and SonyLIV, noted that its members have been promoting accessibility in a number of ways. Among them include the majority of material being subtitled, conversation being represented textually, and a growing amount of closed captioning (CC) being offered, which describes noises other than dialogue. In addition to the conversation in a scene, some members additionally provide audio descriptions (AD), which let viewers hear a summary of what's happening on screen.

A text control feature that lets text in mobile apps be expanded up to 200% without compromising functionality is enabled on certain platforms. Some are attempting to support screen readers, which enables users to hear the text that appears on the screen while navigating a platform at a basic level.

However, numerous member platforms have emphasized the difficulties in putting into practice accessibility measures for both licensed and archived material owing to legal concerns and technical limitations. The IDMIF members reaffirmed their support for MIB's goal of providing accessible services and said that OCCPs would keep offering accessibility compliant with the IT Rules' Code of Ethics.

"It would be prudent that the accessibility standards to be suggested as OCCPs provide an appropriate period of time for the industry as a whole to cope and prepared for adequate compliances, given that OCCPs are still an emerging industry." Even if the necessary technology would be available, the MIB would need to provide assistance and a fair amount of time for its actual deployment. Members have written to the ministry requesting that the MIB think about issuing the Accessibility Standards in the manner of guidelines enabling accessibility characteristics in content over a period through phased graded targets, taking into account the industry's readiness and the possible shortage of service providers which can render services for accessibility.

As a division of the Indian Broadcasting including Digital Foundation (IBDF), IDMIF advocates for top online content curation platforms and uses the DMCRC to further policy advocacy and content regulation.