Centre releases draft content accessibility guidelines for OTT platforms

New Delhi, Oct 8 (PTI) The government on Wednesday unveiled draft content accessibility guidelines that make it mandatory for OTT platforms to include at least one among a list of features, including the Indian Sign Language interpretation, in its new programming.

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has sought comments from stakeholders and the general public on the guidelines that seek to ensure access to online curated content to persons with hearing and visual impairments through features such as closed and open captions, audio descriptions, and Indian Sign Language (ISL) interpretation.

The comments have to be submitted by October 22.

Once notified, the over-the-top (OTT) platforms will implement the guidelines in two phases over a period of two years.

In Phase I, six months after the notification of the guidelines the OTT platforms will release all new content with at least one accessibility feature -- either closed or open captioning, audio description or ISL interpretation.

The guidelines mandate platforms to also display accessibility indicators and ensure that accessibility features are integrated across their user interfaces.

In Phase II, publishers are encouraged to progressively make their entire content libraries accessible, achieving at least 30 per cent compliance within 12 months, 60 per cent within 18 months, and full accessibility within 24 months of the publication of the guidelines.

The draft exempts certain categories from the requirements -- live and deferred-live content, audio-only content such as music and podcasts, and short-form content of 10 minutes or less.

To oversee enforcement, the MIB will constitute a monitoring committee chaired by a Joint Secretary-level officer. The committee will meet quarterly to review implementation progress, address grievances, and issue directives to ensure consistent compliance across the OTT ecosystem. PTI SKU NB