How ITU-T contributes to Audiovisual Media Accessibility? Alexandra Gaspari Programme Coordinator...

How ITU-T contributes to Audiovisual Media

Accessibility?

Alexandra GaspariProgramme Coordinator for Accessibility

ITU – Standardization Bureau

ITU-EBU Meeting for Central and Eastern Europe on e-Accessibility in Television Broadcasting

3 - 4 December 2013Zagreb, Croatia

Outline of presentation

ITU Radio and Standardization Sector needed to work on audiovisual accessibilityFirst initiative: Workshop 2010FG AVA mandateFG AVA results and impactAnd now what? An IRG is being proposed…ITU needs your contribution: let’s make it work!

ITU-EBU Meeting for Central and Eastern Europe on e-Accessibility in Television Broadcasting,3 – 4 December 2013, Zagreb, Croatia

Were we started three years ago?Were we started three years ago?

ITU-EBU Joint Workshop on Accessibility to Broadcasting and IPTV ACCESS for ALL, (In cooperation with the EU project DTV4All)Geneva, 23 – 24 November 2010

The objective of this Workshop is to consider and explore how persons with hearing, sight or aging disabilities can consume the same broadcasting (television, radio and Internet) services as those without disabilities, to a reasonable extent. In Cooperation with the European Union project DTV4All, the Workshop will feature speakers from broadcasters, IPTV providers, manufacturers and user associations.

Programme:http://www.itu.int/ITU-T/worksem/accessibility/20101123/programme.html

Photohttp://www.flickr.com/photos/malcolm_johnson/sets/72157625470895616/

And demos (see next three slides)ITU-EBU Meeting for Central and Eastern Europe on e-Accessibility in Television Broadcasting,

3 – 4 December 2013, Zagreb, Croatia

http://www.itu.int/ITU-T/worksem/accessibility/20101123/programme.html

http://www.itu.int/ITU-T/worksem/accessibility/20101123/programme.html

http://www.flickr.com/photos/malcolm_johnson/sets/72157625470895616/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/malcolm_johnson/sets/72157625470895616/

What participant showcase on:

Brunel University London:Current BBC access service“Sign translator on demand“

IRT/rbb/UAB/TVC:Natural signer - video over Internet (HbbTV)DVB subtitlesReduced playback speed (video and audio)Clean audio (spanish)


Fraunhofer IGD / EU Project GUIDE:

Software simulation of interaction patterns of disabled and elderly users

RNIB:Talking set top boxes

NHK:Speech rate conversionMachine translation of sign language with its CG generation


UAB:Subtitles, audio-subtitles and audio description on iPhone

RAI:Video signing on an iPhone

Translation of written text into sign language with visualization through a virtual interpreter on iPhone


At the workshop in 2010, an At the workshop in 2010, an agreement was reached 1/3agreement was reached 1/3

The participants agreed on the following: The Workshop recognized that there was a clear need to coordinate the technologies that can be used to aid those viewers and listeners with disabilities to gain maximum benefit from media delivered by broadcast, cable, IPTV, and Internet. The target is to make access service requirements independent of the delivery platform.

As part of the discussions, it was concluded that it would be beneficial to establish a common platform that could allow unencumbered participation of experts from both ITU-T and ITU-R study groups, in particular ITU-T Study Groups 2 and 16 and ITU-R Study Group 6. Participation should also be open to the constituencies of other stakeholders (inter alia user associations, broadcasters, Internet service providers, manufactures, standardization organization).



The participants agreed on the following:

It is therefore proposed that the Terms of Reference of such a Focus Group should include the following:To determine how to involve all stakeholders, including potential users, in the development of such access systems. For users, the principle "nothing about us without us", must be applied to any system development.To identify gaps in existing specifications that support the established service requirements in systems defined by both ITU-T and ITU-R.To encourage the availability and use of access services on behalf of all users, making “accessibility to all” a principle for AV content delivery (i. e. universal design in line with the UN Convention).



The participants agreed on the following:

To identify the challenges to interoperability and access service interoperability requirements.Actively to promote the use of systems for access services which apply internationally agreed standards for a given delivery platform.To prepare clear guidelines on the application of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities to the delivery of digital AV media.To prepare guidelines for the inclusion of access services in all new digital AV user devices.

A Focus Group was proposed: FG AVA was born six months later


FG AVA - Focus Group on FG AVA - Focus Group on Audiovisual Media AccessibilityAudiovisual Media AccessibilityFocus Group on Audiovisual Media Accessibility – FG AVA (Under the ITU-T Study Group 16 –Multimedia is LEAD SG for telecommunication/ICT accessibility for persons with disabilities)

Mandate: to stimulate the development of international standards that improve the accessibility of audiovisual (AV) media for persons with disabilities.

Results: creation of new work items under SG16, increased awareness for audiovisual accessibility

Ended its mandate on 24 October 2013


Who participated into FG AVA?Who participated into FG AVA?

Academia, Organizations representing PwDs, Research, industry, experts, other stakeholders

Reaching what: raised interest with regulators, broadcasters, audiovisual industry, research bodies


When and where FG AVA met?When and where FG AVA met?

Met nine times; in Europe, north America and Asia (Barcelona, New Delhi, Tokyo, Toronto, Geneva)

FG AVA met sometimes back to back with a workshop that FG AVA organized, namely:ITU Workshop on Making Media Accessible to all: the options and the economics

ITU Workshop "Making Television Accessible - from Idea to Reality"

Tutorial on Audio Visual Media Accessibility

ITU-EBU Meeting for Central and Eastern Europe on e-Accessibility in Television Broadcasting,

3 – 4 December 2013, Zagreb, Croatia

http://www.itu.int/en/ITU-T/Workshops-and-Seminars/mmaa/201310/Pages/default.aspx

http://www.itu.int/en/ITU-T/Workshops-and-Seminars/mmaa/201310/Pages/default.aspx

http://www.itu.int/en/ITU-T/Workshops-and-Seminars/accessibility/201205/Pages/default.aspx



What FG AVA achieved?What FG AVA achieved?Well, in general…Well, in general…

Great awareness on audiovisual accessibility, role of audiovisual accessibility in different contest: inclusion, man and natural disaster, education, real access for ALL

Facilitated a network of experts that met and work together for a couple of years

Push the issue within ITU and outside

Produce reports which will be further developed within ITU, some of them into standards, driven by the ITU members


What FG AVA achieved?What FG AVA achieved?Working Groups final reports Working Groups final reports

FG AVA Final Report of activities: Working Group A “Captioning”FG AVA Final Report of activities: Working Group B “Audio/Video description and spoken captions”FG AVA Final Report of activities: Working Group C “Visual signing and sign language”FG AVA Final Report of activities: Working Part C “Visual signing and sign language” and D “Emerging access services” on common activitiesFG AVA Final Report of activities: Working Group F “Participation and Digital Media”

FG AVA Final Report of activities: Working Group G “Digital Broadcast Television”


What FG AVA achieved?What FG AVA achieved?Working Groups final reports Working Groups final reports Overview of audiovisual media accessibility: an introduction

ITU-T Technical report (originally conceived as online manual) on audiovisual accessibility for decision-makers

Interworking and Digital Audiovisual Media Accessibility

Draft recommended requirements for the application of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN CRPD) for media services


Results of the FG AVA: 1/3Results of the FG AVA: 1/3documents on audiovisual media accessibilitydocuments on audiovisual media accessibility

Overview of audiovisual media accessibility: an introduction





Results of the FG AVA: 2/3Results of the FG AVA: 2/3Overall FG AVA reportsOverall FG AVA reports

Overview of audiovisual media accessibility: an introduction





Results of the FG AVA: 3/3Results of the FG AVA: 3/3new work itemsnew work items

Draft recommended characteristics for audio descriptions (described video - North America region) and/or spoken subtitles for assisting content accessibility of Audio visual programme materialDraft recommended requirements of TV receiver for closed signing Draft recommended production guidelines for sign language serviceMethods for improving the intelligibility of audioUsing Audiovisual Media – a Taxonomy of ParticipationVocabulary for ITU-T Focus Group on Audiovisual Media AccessibilityRequirements and good practice for supporting remote participation in meetings for allDraft recommended features for mobile media devices


Looking at the future activities Looking at the future activities involving different stakeholdersinvolving different stakeholders

With broadcasters, Research Institutions, academiaWith regional organizations like the one today and tomorrow (Croatia, December 2013)With sisters UN agencies (November 2013)ITU is open to proposals by ITU membersITU is open to proposals from potential new members, stakeholders involved in accessibility and digital inclusion


Looking at the future activities Looking at the future activities proposed by ITU membersproposed by ITU members

IRG – Inter sector Rapporteur Group on AVAProposed by sector members in ITU-T and ITU-RTripartite groups to work on recommendations involving audiovisual media accessibility, broadcasting


HOW CAN YOU CONTRIBUTE HOW CAN YOU CONTRIBUTE to the audio and visual media to the audio and visual media

accessibility in ITU 1/2accessibility in ITU 1/2

ITU is a members driven organization: what does it mean?

ITU needs your contribution

In the short term: IF and once the Inter Sector Rapporteur Group (IRG-AVA) is established:

Come to ITU meetings and participate actively

HOW CAN YOU CONTRIBUTE HOW CAN YOU CONTRIBUTE to the audio and visual media to the audio and visual media

accessibility in ITU 2/2accessibility in ITU 2/2

Submit your proposal to the IRG with the expertise, knowledge, good and best practices run in your organization

Provide experts for the work

Provide panelists for workshops, related events


Most recent ITU workshop related Most recent ITU workshop related to audiovisual accessibility to audiovisual accessibility

ITU Workshop on Making Media Accessible to all: the options and the economics

Workshop to review existing as well as next-generation accessibility services and technologies in the audiovisual media sphere, business cases of accessibility-service rollouts from across the world

Demos on accessibility services currently on the market and under development by private-sector players and research institutes.


FG AVA documents available at:http://ifa.itu.int/t/fg/ava/docs/1310-Geneva/in/

http://ifa.itu.int/t/fg/ava/docs/1310-Geneva/in/


Thank you for your attention

[email protected]

http://www.itu.int/en/ITU-T/accessibility/Pages/default.aspxhttp://www.itu.int/en/ITU-T/focusgroups/ava/Pages/default.aspx


How ITU-T contributes to Audiovisual Media Accessibility? Alexandra Gaspari Programme Coordinator...

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