Audiovisual accessibility: the role of public universities in the challenge of inclusion

A short presentation: Educ.ar TV channels

• Encuentro is the Argentine national Ministry of Education channel. It develops high technical and aesthetical quality contents through productions, specials, fillers, co-productions and acquisitions. Its challenges are to make public television both educational and entertaining and ensure that all Argentines see themselves represented on screen.

• Pakapaka is the national Ministry of Education channel addressed to Argentine and Latin American girls and boys, created as a space for them to learn, discover, participate and express themselves.

• Deportv is an Argentine public channel which counts with live football, car racing, basketball, artistic gymnastics and swimming transmissions.

Specific regulation for Accessibility

Worldwide: Convention on the right of persons with disabilities

In Argentina: Law 26,522 on Audiovisual Communication Services establishes guidelines for the operation of broadcast media in the Republic Argentina. This legislation was enacted on October 10, 2009.

It includes:

•"ARTICLE 66. - Accessibility. Broadcast emissions, especially informative, educational, cultural and general interest programs of national production, should incorporate additional media such as closed captioning , sign language and audio description, for the correct reception by persons with disabilities, seniors and other people who may have difficulty accessing content".

Dates/ Highlights

2000: first closed caption experiences in Argentina - TV Pública (Public television)

2009: enactment of new TV and audiovisual content law

2010: first closed caption and audiodescription submissions in Educ.ar (for Encuentro Channel)

2012: start-up of Accessibility area in Educ.ar

2012: Creation of "accesible TV decoder“ for 100.000 argentinian with disabilities

2019: Analogue switchoff in Argentina

Situation map/ State of affairs

• Slow execution of the objectives of the law

• Few specialized companies offering not good as possible services

• Thick and general solutions for accessibility: only live closed caption, audiodescription and sign language are being produced

• Lack of national norms (specific know-how)

• Emission solutions for TDA (Argentine Digital Television) found for Buenos Aires, not for the entire country

A possible solution: to work with public universities

Context:

•Film & Arts degrees in upgrowth and evolution

•"Polos & Nodos" national plan

6 universities are already working in the production of accessibility servicesfor Educ.ar and we're extending the call

Our objectives

• To create learning/knowledge and stimulate creation of what we call "jobs of the future" (subtitlers, audiodescriptors, TV sign interpreters)

• To offer quality services

• To raise awareness about the meaning of “Communication for everyone”/ Inclusion in audiovisual content

• To reinvert state resources in the state

What we’ve done

• Over 400 hours of online captioning in our website Conectate (www.conectate.gov.ar)

• 2012: First experience in captioning Olympic Games for TDA (Digital Television in Argentina)

• International agreements for sharing content and accesibility services

• National agreements with universities: 2 universities are learning how to create audiodescription, 2 universities are working how to work in closed caption and 2 are already producing programmes with sign language

Natalia Laube Accessibility Educ.ar nlaube@educ.gov.ar

Thank you!