Where is TV audio description heading in 2019?

www.broadcastnow.co.uk reports that it’s 25 years since the first audio described (AD) programme arrived on UK television (believed to be Coronation Street) and since then the amount of AD television has hugely grown. Last year there were 150,000 hours of it in the UK.

Frustratingly for people who are blind or who have sight loss, however, a lot of top shows still aren’t audio described or aren’t available with AD on catch up or on some platforms. Blind audience members can find themselves hooked after a first series of a popular show only to find the second season isn’t audio described.

At AbilityNet’s recent tech and accessibility conference TechShare Pro, we heard from heads at the BBC, Channel 4 and ITV about what is being done to address this. As a tech and accessibility charity, we champion the use of technology to create more equality for disabled people. We know how disappointing and alienating it is to be left out of the conversation on the latest episode of your favourite programme.

Read more at https://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/tech/where-is-tv-audio-description-heading-in-2019/5136378.article