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Information for television professionals

Summary: Information for people working in the broadcasting industry about making television accessible to blind and partially sighted people.

• Advice and guidelines
• Audio describers and training
• Accessible equipment
• Manufacturers and Retailers
• Our campaign for accessible TV
• Further information

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RNIB works with the broadcasting industry to make television accessible to blind and partially sighted people.

91 per cent of people with a sight problem state that watching TV is important to them. 75 per cent of them have difficulty following what's happening on screen.

“What a wonderful advance it is to have audio description on TV at home! I started to watch Bleak House, and cried out with delight when it turned out it had AD. I don't think I would have persevered with it otherwise; there are a lot of rapid scene changes, and some things communicated only by expression or gesture.” Audio description user.

Advice and guidelines

We can offer advice to the industry on all aspects of making programmes and television technology easier for people with a sight problem to view and use. This includes:

• advice on the legal requirements of Communications Act 2003 in relation to audio description targets
• guidelines for programme makers (Word 79KB)
• advice on the Ofcom guidance for standards of audio description
• guidelines on use of audio description for children's television (Word 77KB)
• guidelines on the use of text on screen (Word 79KB)
• guidelines for broadcasters on selection and scheduling of programmes with audio description (Word 73KB)
• representation of blind and partially sighted people on television.

Audio describers and training

• To find out where you can find an audio describer or company for TV or film description download our list of providers (Word 36 KB) or email broadcasting@rnib.org.uk
• There are training courses in audio description available. A post-graduate course is offered at the University of Surrey. The Audio Description Association also offers vocational training.

Accessible equipment

• To find out how to make your equipment accessible to blind and partially sighted people you can download the BBC’s research and development White Paper (PDF) entitled "Audio Description: what it is and how it works"

Manufacturers and Retailers

We can offer advice to equipment manufacturers and retailers about audio description and the use of the audio description logos.

Our campaign for accessible TV

RNIB also campaigns to increase the government target figure for audio description.

We regularly write responses to initiatives from the government and other agencies. Our latest responses are give below:

• Supporting Vulnerable Consumers with targeted assistance at and after Digital TV Switchover (Word)
• Supporting Vulnerable Consumers with targeted assistance at and after Digital TV Switchover (PDF)
• The user requirement specification for Digital TV: a report to DCMS (Word)
• The user requirement specification for Digital TV (Printable PDF)

Further information

Download audio described television adverts to find out more about audio description on television.

To discuss any requirements your organisation may have please contact the RNIB Media and Culture department by emailing broadcasting@rnib.org.uk or telephone 020 7391 2398.

RNIB also offers information on Audio Description on TV to blind and partially sighted people.

Back to audio description home page.

Content author: broadcasting@rnib.org.uk

Last updated: 28/07/2008 16:43