Public broadcaster SBS has announced it will continue to work on being an industry leader in providing accessible media services to Australian audiences, with the growing roll out of audio description across more than 500 titles in the SBS On Demand catalogue and improved accessibility such as blind and low vision login via its website.
Shows such as Dateline, Barrumbi Kids, Going Places with Ernie Dingo, Four Years Later and many more across SBS On Demand’s suite of news and current affairs, children’s, documentary and drama programming will feature enhanced audio description services, with auditory narrations of visual elements and the website optimised for assistive technologies.
“We have been leaders in the audio description space for years, including being the first free-to-air broadcaster to provide audio description on linear television,” said Clare O’Neil, director of corporate affairs.
“Today’s move not only sees us expanding our deep library of audio description content on SBS On Demand, but also launching an improved end-to-end accessibility experience via the SBS On Demand website to better serve our blind and low vision audiences”.
SBS will have more than 29,000 hours of subtitles, closed captioning, audio description and Auslan content made available on SBS, NITV and SBS On Demand in financial year 2023–24.
Every week, the network produces up to 27 hours of new audio-described programming – regularly working with blind and low vision partners for script review and casting culturally appropriate voices, including Indigenous voices. SBS On Demand’s dedicated AD collection features more that 500 TV shows and movies.
The expanded service will be available on web viewing with access on other platforms, such as app, CTV, Apple and Android, to roll out over the course of 2025.
