BACKGROUND
Ensuring that all of the Europe’s population has access to television services is one of the targets set by world leaders in the World Summit on the Information Society. Television is important for enhancing national identity, providing an outlet for domestic media content and getting news and information to the public, which is especially critical in times of emergencies. Television programs are also a principal source of news and information for illiterate segments of the population, some of whom are persons with disabilities. Migration from analogue to digital TV represents an ideal opportunity for ITU members to take the necessary steps to ensure TV is accessible.
By promoting and fostering widespread adoption of access services via digital television in Central and Eastern Europe, the meeting will be held within the framework of the ITU European Regional Initiative on “E-accessibility in Central and Eastern Europe (Internet and digital television) for blind people and people with visual impairment problems”, adopted by the ITU Resolution 17 (WTDC-10, Hyderabad).
OBJECTIVES
The meeting intends to provide a basis for the exchange of best practices in field of accessibility services for digital TV. It will also aim at identification of gaps in the region that might be addressed in the future when ITU accompanies the Member States of Central and Eastern Europe in facilitating the implementation of the e-accessibility solutions by their national broadcasters.
In particular it will address essential access services, such as:
- captioning,
- audio description, and
- audio (spoken) captions,
which benefit the elderly, deaf and those with hearing impairments, and explain how accessible television can support other goals such as social integration of immigrants and marginalized populations.
Meeting will provide knowledge sharing platform for practitioners in national broadcasters, who shall be enabled to promote and foster widespread adoption of access services via digital television.
NOMINATION INSTRUCTIONS
We kindly request the inrerested parties to communicate with organizers details of nominated staff, completing the Nomination Form (under Documents), that is a request for candidature, and sending it by e-mail to eurregion@itu.int before 20 November 2013.
As the number of places is limited to 15, therefore the first come first served rule will apply. In this context we request to restrict number of nominations to a maximum of two per organization.
Upon being selected to attend and contribute to the meeting, participants will be asked to fill in the Questionnaire (under Documents) and reflect the state of e-Accessibility services used or envisaged by their national broadcasters.
