Commenting on the publication of the Access Rules by the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland (BCI) recently, the National Council for the Blind of Ireland (NCBI) said it was broadly accepting of the document and was looking forward to engaging in a process which would see audio description commence in Ireland on our indiginous television channels.
Launched on Monday 28 February, The Access Rules determines the levels of subtitling, sign language and audiodescription that broadcasters in Ireland will be required to provide to increase access to their services among people with visual and hearing difficulties, as provided for under Section 19 (11) of the Broadcasting Act 2001. An initial target of 1% for sign language and audiodescription to be achieved by RTE 1 and RTE 2 within 3 years has been laid down.
The ‘outcomes’ document details the decisions taken by the Board of the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland regarding the Access Rules. The decisions of the Board were informed by a period of research, a consultation forum in which NCBI participated with broadcasters, and a public consultation process on draft rules.
Commenting on the Access Rules, Des Kenny Chief Executive of NCBI said “We can accept that the access rules are a first positive step toward increasing access to television services for the deaf, hard of hearing and vision impaired communities. We acknowledge that the representative groups are anxious for a faster implementation of targets and timeframes. However, it is important to take into account the point from which broadcasters are starting, and the current technological constraints and lack of expertise which prevent the more comprehensive development of some forms of access services.”
The Commission will conduct an interim review of the Access Rules after three years in order to reflect future technical developments, particularly in relation to digital terrestrial services. Any adjustments to requirements may be incorporated into the Rules after that time. Guidelines will also be produced in tandem with the Access Rules relating to the standards and quality required in relation to each form of access provision.