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Read more about U.S. broadcasts live TV audio description for the first time

Feedback on captioning regulation wanted

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The lead-up to the end of the year has seen a little burst of consultation around captioning issues. The Federal Department of Communications and the Arts has released a policy consultation paper on the Captioning Regulatory Framework.

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Australian policy and legislation

Research & policy

Closed captions

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Ofcom releases fourth caption quality report

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The UK communications regulator Ofcom has released its fourth and final report into the quality of live captioning on television.

Ofcom: Measuring live subtitling quality. Results from the fourth sampling exercise

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Ofcom, Office of Communications

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Television

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Accessible film festival hosts free gala screening in Sydney

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Access All Areas Film Festival (AAAFF) will be celebrating the International Day of People with Disability on 3 December with a free screening of Last Cab to Darwin starring Michael Caton and Jacki Weaver.

Michael Caton as Rex in Last Cab to Darwin

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Anger with American Airlines over inaccessible inflight entertainment

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Hundreds of people have taken to social media to express their disappointment with American Airlines after the airline responded to a query on the accessibility of its inflight entertainment.

Passengers seated on an airplane, with inflight entertainment systems visible

The query came from Nyle DiMarco, one of the final four contestants on the 22nd and final season of America’s Next Top Model. DiMarco is the only contestant in the show’s history who is Deaf.

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Closed captions

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Handel’s Messiah live streamed and accessible

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Streaming live events on the internet allows people who cannot attend to experience the performance. A more recent innovation is to include accessibility services to allow people with disabilities to also enjoy the show.

Handel's Messiah at the Sydney Opera House. Image credit: Sydney Opera House

Sydney Opera House is providing a live-streamed, fully-accessible version of Handel’s Messiah on Sunday 6 December 2015 from 12.50pm AEDT.

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News

Cinema & arts

Disability

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Blind activist launches petition for accessible inflight entertainment

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Philip Chalker has launched a petition on Change.org, asking that Virgin Australia provide audio description for people who are blind or vision impaired on its inflight entertainment systems.

Little boy wearing headphones inflight

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Audio description

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Better audio description through consultation

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A basic rule of research is that if you want to know what somebody thinks about your product, the best thing to do is ask them. It is surprising how little that approach is taken with access services, including audio description for blind people, which makes recent initiatives by Pixar in the US and Ericsson in Australia all the more welcome.

Left hand adjusting the volume control on a home theatre system

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Research & policy

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US city makes captions compulsory on public TVs

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All television sets in public places in Portland, Oregon, will need to have closed captions switched on during business hours, after the Portland City Council passed a new ordinance last week.

Neon sign reading "Portland, Oregon, Old Town" lit up at dusk

The rule will apply to bars, restaurants, gyms and other public spaces. It was welcomed by advocates for the deaf, who argued that deaf patrons could miss important news items, particularly in emergencies.

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Solutions