Sony begins campaign for audio description

Sony is pressing the television industry to provide products and services for the blind and partially sighted. The manufacturer’s Bravia television range now provides access to the audio description service available over the digital terrestrial network. Audio description provides an additional explanation of visual plot points to enable the visually impaired better follow the storyline.

“We are all used to seeing and using subtitles on TV, but what many people don’t know is that the technology exists to make a similarly useful service available for the 30 million or so visually impaired people we have in Europe,” says Andreas Ditter, VP, Sony Europe.

The UK regulator Ofcom already has prescribed levels of up to 8% as to the amount of audio description that should be carried by broadcasters. In many cases the amount has been exceeded. However, the UK is the only country to mandate audio description.