News

Error message

Deprecated function: Array and string offset access syntax with curly braces is deprecated in include_once() (line 14 of /home/mediacc/public_html/themes/engines/phptemplate/phptemplate.engine).

Captioned Discovery Kids helps primary children learn

no
Show on home page

Discovery Kids is Australia’s only dedicated educational channel for primary-school aged children (5-12) and a sponsor of Media Access Australia's national CAP THAT! campaign. From its launch on Foxtel in 2014, 100% of the content on Discovery Kids has been captioned.

Robert Irwin speaking with the caption "No? Well, that's where closed captioning comes in"


Top of page

Audio description trial on iview enters third month

no
Show on home page

The trial of audio description on the ABC’s iview service is about to enter its third month, with feedback from viewers on the choice of programs and quality of the description being very positive.

ABC iview icon

Since the trial began in April, over 12,000 drama programs and over 5,000 factual programs have been played on iview with the audio description activated. The most popular drama program so far has been Poldark, and the most popular factual program The Killing Season.


Top of page

iTunes to remove content that isn’t captioned

no
Show on home page

1 July 2015 is the deadline in the United States for all online video content to have captions if it was previously captioned for broadcast on television. Following that date, iTunes will commence removing from its store movies and TV programs which fall into this category.

iTunes desktop application with playback controls visible. Image credit: maury.mccown via Flickr

Digital media and technology: 

Top of page

Accessible Live Events call for papers

no
Show on home page

The University of Antwerp is hosting a special international symposium on Accessible Live Events on 29 April 2016 and is seeking proposals for papers and presentations.

Audience cheering whilst facing the stage at a live performance. A person's hands are raised in the foreground making a 'heart' shape.


Top of page

UK Labour MP supports VOD access campaign

no
Show on home page

Labour MP Lillian Greenwood has submitted a private member’s bill to the House of Commons in support of Subtitle It!, a campaign to improve the accessibility of video-on-demand (VOD) services.

Lillian Greenwood holding a sign which reads 'Subtitle It! Whatever we watch, however we watch it #SubtitleIt'


Top of page

UK regulator releases access requirements for 2016

no
Show on home page

The UK communications regulator Ofcom has released its list of TV channels which will be required to provide access services – captioning, audio description and signing – in 2015.

Remote control resting on a TV guide


Top of page

Egypt audio describes its first feature film

no
Show on home page

On 11 June 2015, the 1963 epic drama Al Nasser Saladin became the first Egyptian feature film to be screened with audio description for blind and vision impaired people.

Poster of the film Al Nasser Saladin


Top of page

Apple wins AFB award for its accessibility product features

no
Show on home page

The American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) has announced that the Helen Keller Award for 2015 has been won by Apple due to its commitment to including accessibility features in its products to support people who are blind or vision impaired.

Apple products on display. From left to right: MacBook, iPad Air and iPhone 6 Plus


Top of page

Employment conference to cover digital accessibility

no
Show on home page

One of the most powerful practical approaches to assist people with a disability in becoming self-sufficient and managing their needs is through helping them into employment. Specialist disability employment services are the usual first place that both employers and people with a disability turn to in that job-hunting quest. Whilst the person may be experienced, willing and able to take on the workplace, the workplace also needs to accommodate their needs.

Australia's Disability Employment Conference - Sydney 2015


Top of page

Vale Tammy Axelsen

no
Show on home page

It is with great sadness that we note the sudden death of Tammy Axelsen on 10 June at her home in Tasmania. Tammy was the dedicated administrator and organiser behind the Round Table for Print Disabilities.

Portrait photo of Tammy Axelsen

Under her care, the Round Table expanded to include broader forms of digital accessibility and information access, including access to video services through audio description.


Top of page

Pages

Subscribe to RSS - News