After being delivered to the then Department of Communications, Broadband and the Digital Economy at the end of 2012, the report from the ABC on the audio description trial has finally been released to the public.
The report gives the ABC’s feedback on the technical aspects of delivering audio description (AD) in Australia’s broadcast environment. A number of key findings emerged from the report which will impact on delivery of a service in the future.
In the trial, the ABC opted for a manual system to deliver the audio description, rather than trying to incorporate the service into its automated play out systems. This was partially due to the short trial length of only 13 weeks and noted that it did not install a long-term system. The report also cited the stronger likelihood of there being errors and problems stemming from the more complex automated systems.
There were a number of problems with different set-top boxes and televisions and how they worked with audio description. In many cases the receivers had been set to play AD and it was a case of then talking through the steps to turn it off to fix the problem. In a smaller number of cases viewers were unable to turn the AD off. Various solutions were suggested for this and could be properly explored as part of a permanent service.
There were some issues about a limited choice of programming and relatively long lead times to provide AD. Again, these are not major and could be solved as part of a permanent service.
The ABC suggested that it would need a lead time for a full service to be fully implemented of up to 18 months.
Media Access Australia CEO Alex Varley said, “Whilst 18 months might seem like a long time, my understanding of that timeframe is to ensure the delivery of a fully-functioning service across all of Australia. There is always the option of rolling out a service sooner and accepting that there will be teething problems and they can be fixed as it goes along.”
Feedback from blind and vision impaired viewers showed that there was a strong level of support for the service, with thousands of viewers petitioning the ABC and Government to continue the service at the conclusion of the trial.
“Overall the report provides a good insight into the sorts of issues that broadcasters face when implementing new services across a complex technical system. These issues need to be factored in and considered in the process of putting together a permanent service,” said Varley.
Media Access Australia will provide more detailed analysis about different aspects of the report over the coming weeks. We are part of a coalition of organisations working towards a permanent audio description service on Australian television.
ABC Report on Audio Description Finally Released
Media Access Study into Education for Children who are Blind or Vision Impaired
Media Access Australia has today released a landmark study into how the access needs of students who are blind or vision impaired can be met in Australian schools. Launched at the Blind Citizens Australia convention yesterday, it is hoped that the study informs how new technologies and systems are adopted.
While there is no official statistic for the number of children who are blind or vision impaired in Australia, a reasonable estimate is 4,000. The vast majority of these school age children attend mainstream schools.
The study explores how the challenge of providing access to media and technology for students who are blind or vision impaired is met across the public, Catholic and independent sectors. The study draws on interviews with mainstream and specialist teachers and service providers.
The report is a comprehensive review of how access is currently provided. Solutions range from large print text books to using pipe cleaners to mould into tactile diagrams. The report’s five expert authors then scope how mainstream technologies such as tablet computers could be used to improve learning outcomes.
The report identifies a number of factors inhibiting access to learning for students who are blind or vision impaired. These include:
• Existing structures hindering knowledge sharing between schools, sectors and states
• A lack of opportunities for coordination to prevent duplication of resources
• Copyright issues affecting the availability of texts in alternative formats
• A lack of information to help educators and education departments to adapt to technological change
Media Access Australia has a long history of work in Deaf and hearing impaired education which places us in a position to offer independent evidence based advice.
CEO and co-author Alex Varley said, “This report offers a bird’s eye view of how technology and information access are currently being provided across the country and across sectors. From this vantage point we can see the common challenges and identify practical solutions which could be adopted to improve services.”
Download the report:
Vision Education Scoping Report Final Version.docx
Vision Education Scoping Report (DOCX 3.4 MB)
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