The Centre on October 16 informed the Delhi High Court that it would finalise the accessibility guidelines for hearing and visually impaired users on OTT platforms within the next three months, according to a report by PTI.
The assurance came during a hearing of a petition filed by visually impaired persons who said that recent Bollywood films released on OTT services lacked accessibility features, such as audio descriptions or subtitles, making them inaccessible to disabled viewers.
Draft guidelines already published for feedback
Justice Sachin Datta took on record the government’s undertaking that the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) has already published draft guidelines on its official website for public comments and stakeholder inputs.
“It is assured by the Ministry’s counsel that the feedback and suggestions of the petitioner will be duly considered and taken into account before formulation of the final guidelines,” the court noted, as cited by PTI.
The ministry also committed to issuing the final guidelines within three months, after which the court disposed of the petition.
Petitioners flagged lack of consultation with disabled users
The petitioners argued that while the MIB had consulted with members of the OTT industry, it had not adequately engaged with people with disabilities—the primary beneficiaries of such regulations. They urged the government to include disabled users and advocacy groups in the consultation process to ensure that the final rules are practical and inclusive.
The court, while closing the matter, granted liberty to the petitioners to respond to the draft guidelines and make further representations to the government.
“In case the petitioner has any grievance with respect to the formulation of guidelines, he shall be at liberty to take legal recourse,” Justice Datta added.
Background: push for inclusive OTT content
The petition had earlier prompted the High Court to direct the MIB to frame accessibility guidelines in accordance with the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, which mandates that public content be made accessible to all citizens.
In the context of broadcasting, OTT (over-the-top) content refers to movies, shows, and other media streamed online rather than through traditional television channels.
The upcoming accessibility rules are expected to make India’s booming OTT ecosystem more inclusive by ensuring that platforms such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ Hotstar, and others provide subtitles, sign language options, and audio descriptions for people with hearing and visual impairments.
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