OTT must be meant for everyone. Even if the percentage of the audience is small, it must take care of it.
The Indian Digital Media Industry Foundation (IDMIF) is making strides to ensure accessibility for differently-abled individuals in the world of OTT content. This commitment, initiated under the Digital Media Content Regulatory Council (DMCRC), signifies a significant move towards inclusivity and diversity.
IDMIF, comprising major players like Disney+ Hotstar, Zee5, Voot, and SonyLIV, is actively engaged in promoting accessibility standards. Their efforts include subtitling for most content and providing closed captioning, which describes both dialogue and sounds.
To enhance user-friendliness, these platforms are enabling text control features, allowing users to resize text on mobile apps, and accommodating different visual needs.
However, there are challenges, notably with live content and archival or licensed material, due to technological and rights-related restrictions.
IDMIF suggests a reasonable timeline for implementing accessibility standards, with phased targets. This approach ensures that the industry can adapt gradually, taking into account the limited availability of service providers for accessibility features.
In conclusion, this is a great step. We do realize that it is a path filled with challenges. But as we realize the importance of inclusivity, we must act on it rather than merely blabbering about the rights and conditions of differently-abled people.