The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting yesterday said it proposes to introduce guidelines for accessibility of content on platforms of publishers of online curated content (streaming platforms) for persons with hearing and visual impairment or persons with disabilities (PwD)

Enumerating the draft guidelines and proposed schedule for implementation, the government added that it will hold public consultations on the issue. However, the deadline kept is seemingly short for an important matter like this, a section of the content industry opined.

“While these (proposed) guidelines seek to progressively expand accessibility across online curated content made available on OTT platforms, it is important to acknowledge certain inherent technical and operational challenges, such as those related to practical difficulties in real time captioning or audio descriptions in live or deferred live events, audio content and advertisements which are typically short form,” the MIB consultation paper stated.

It added that in light of the practical and operational considerations, the following categories of content are proposed to be kept exempt from accessibility requirements of the draft guidelines and they include (i) live and deferred live content; (ii) audio content such as music, podcast, etc. and (iii) short form content.

The proposed implementation schedules are as follows:

Phase I: Publishers of online curated content shall, upon expiry of six months of the date of publication of the guidelines ensure that all new content carries at least one accessibility feature for hearing-impaired and visually-impaired viewers, namely Closed/Open Captioning (CC/OC) and audio descriptors or Indian Sign Language (AD/ISL).

# Prominently display, at the time of release, content descriptors indicating the accessibility features, including for promotional audio-visual material.

# Integrate and make functional the accessibility features across user interfaces of the platforms.

Phase II: Progressive implementation will mean publishers of online curated content are encouraged to provide at least one accessibility feature for hearing-impaired and visually-impaired users, namely Closed/Open Captioning (CC/OC) and audio descriptors or Indian Sign Language (AD/ISL) progressively to all the content in their content libraries.

Under the same phase, streaming platforms shall strive to achieve not less than 30 percent of the total content library within 12 months; not less than 60 percent of the total content library within 18 months and 100 percent of the total content library within 24 months of publication of the guidelines.

MIB has clarified that after deliberations, the government had formulated Accessibility Standards for persons with disabilities in TV programmes and issued guidelines on September 11, 2019.

It further elucidated that the Code of Ethics for online curated content (OTT platforms) under The Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 provides that every publisher of online curated content shall, to the extent feasible, take reasonable efforts to improve the accessibility of online curated content transmitted by it to persons with disabilities through the implementation of appropriate access services.