A practical guide to Access Services in TV Advertising

The question of media accessibility has become an important one in recent years, especially within the context of the growing recognition for the need for greater diversity and inclusion in the media industry. When it comes to TV, many broadcasters have already led the way in widening access to TV content for the deaf and hard of hearing and blind and visually impaired through access services like subtitles (ST), closed captions (CC), sign language (SL) and audio description (AD). TV advertising, however, has so far lagged behind. Today, less than 10% of ads are accessible. With the exception of some awareness-raising campaigns and one-off initiatives, the vast majority of TV commercials tend to be delivered without any access services in place.