I want you to sit back and imagine something if you will. Imagine coming home from a long day and settling down in front of the TV like everyone else does of an evening. You switch on the set and find that The Big Bang Theory is on. Sheldon has just done something crazy as always and the results are causing the audience to laugh hard and clap loudly. But you have no idea what is happening and it is never explained in a way that will allow you to enjoy the wonderful visual comedy that others are able to view.
Meanwhile in the UK, the same episode screens with audio description (AD) up to three times in the same day, allowing someone just like you to laugh along with everyone else and share in the fun of watching a nerd make a total idiot out of himself.
Welcome to Australian Television Prison inmate 34601.
When I was asked to write this piece, I was looking for the right angle. Do I go positive and speak of the technical trial that ABC1 held late in 2012? Should I go negative and remind everyone that even New Zealand and the United States produce more audio described television in a week then we have had in our history? I’ve decided to go a little each way on the issue.
The technical trial by ABC1 was an amazing step forward and I can only hope it will lead to a better tomorrow for blind and vision impaired Australians. But progress is slow to non-existent and more needs to be done in order to get the word out there that this service should and can be provided to the Australian public. The current change-over from analogue to digital television is the perfect time to work out the bugs that need to be worked out and get the system running.
The recent announcement of a campaign to convince ABC1 to reinstate the AD trial is a very positive step forward and I can only hope it will be as successful as the first campaign that saw the ABC and Senator Stephen Conroy inundated with postcards and emails.
The bugs in the system I mentioned earlier can be worked out in time and I am sure if they put the effort in on the technical end we’ll have a service on the ABC which is par with that in the UK within the year. From there we can easily show the other broadcasters how it can be done and help them understand that more viewers equals higher ratings, more money in their pocket from advertisers and so on. The pay TV market is also a prime candidate for audio description and with luck FOXTEL will be joining the party soon as well.
When all is said and done, Australia has taken positive steps to be sure but it is still a long way off being up to speed with the rest of the world. I am waiting and praying for the day when the cell door is opened at last and vision impaired and blind Aussies can finally enjoy audio described television too.
Scott Nixon is a 34 year old man living in Melbourne. A strong advocate for Audio Description, Scott has been working with blindness agencies and non-profits for a number of years to make audio described cinema and TV a reality for the blind and vision impaired of Australia.
The ‘Easy As ABC’ campaign is urging all Australians to send letters and emails to Senator Stephen Conroy and the ABC’s Managing Director, Mark Scott, before Friday 10 May.
This article was republished on ABC Ramp Up, where readers can post comments and participate in discussion.
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