Hi, Robbie,
Last Thursday, as part of the RTEAudience Council, I met both the Board
and the CEO of RTE. I will meet them again early in 2012.
When we met, the issue of accessibility was mentioned more than any other
issue.
I have met the staff responsible in this area and I believe that they are
committed and that they produce output that is far superior to the norm
in the U. S., although they produce far less of it.
It is my personal opinion that we are far behind where we should be in
terms of quantity, but that the people on the ground want to make the
right decisions. A sledge hammer at CEO or Board level will not produce
the desired result, but a reasoned yet insistent engagement will.
Once the technical issues that are holding back progress are addressed in
2012, I believe that good progress will be made. Where we need pressure
to be applied is the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland as they review the
Access Rules.
I hope this helps.
Take care,
Gerry ellis
If you don’t know where you’re going,
How will you know when you get there?
From: vicsireland-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:vicsireland-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx ] On Behalf Of RobbieS
Sent: 18 December 2011 00:23
To: vicsireland@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [vicsireland] Re: Review of Broadcasting Access Rules
Hi Gerry,
Sorry to be so brief but I don't have the time to research tat the
moment.
I have given hapter and verse to RTÉ in my complaints against thejm (for
what it's worth).
Apart from the usual 26-38 of the Disability Act, there is also, specific
to RTÉ and other broadcasters, sections 53 and 54 of the same Act which
apply specifically to Public Sector Broadcasters.
Either way, it is obvious - and RTÉ have admitted so - that RTÉ are in
breech of the Sectoral Plans to date [which I have read in full +
updates] - but they seem to think that only those with money behind them
matter.
Are they right?
Robbie
On Sat, Dec 17, 2011 at 11:29 PM, Gerry Ellis
<gerry.ellis@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> wrote:
Hi,
What legal obligations? RTE neither make settop boxes nor did they set
down the specifications for settop boxes. RTE-NL set down the specs based
on an international set of requirements, but this is separate from RTE.
If you have some legal details that would help in pursuing this issue I
would love to hear about them as they may add some leverage.
Take care,
Gerry ellis
If you don’t know where you’re going,
How will you know when you get there?
From: vicsireland-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:vicsireland-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx ] On Behalf Of RobbieS
Sent: 17 December 2011 16:55
To: vicsireland@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [vicsireland] Re: Review of Broadcasting Access Rules
For the record, all credit to Pat McCarthy of the Blind Legal Alliance
for getting the BAI to at least go through these motions.
then, true to form in such matters, they wouldn't even inform him that
they'd acceeded to his demand/request.
RTÉ have put two fingers up to the Disability Act 2005 where vips are
concerned.
For instance, they claim that:
a). it's not parctical in terms of cost at this late stage to have an
accessible set-top box. Their neglect of the matter in the first place
has led to this situation, but there will probably be no accountability
for this flagrant breech ot their legal obligations.
Also, RTÉ claim that they couldn't meet the niggardly 1% target for
audio-description because they couldn't find companies in ireland to do
it - as if they couldn't do an in-house job if they were really serious
about it.
Come to think of it, wouldn't an in-house job be cheeper, with no
tendering process or profit-margin required?
Up the BLA,
Robbie
On Thu, Dec 15, 2011 at 4:45 PM, GERARD SHANAHAN <gershan@xxxxxx> wrote:
Mark, I'm so disappointed, talk about splitting hairsIt reminds me of a
friend who hired a prosperous electrical contractor to fit a door bell:
1 supervisor, 1 bell fitter and 2 men to put in 12 feet of electrical
cable and connect the bell to the bell push.....No wonder nothing gets
done in this country Comre, BAI, R.T.E. NETWORKS, SOARVIEW, EVERYONE IS
DOING SOMETHING BUT NO ONE TAKES RESPONSIBILITY FOR NICHE PROBLEM
SOLVING. Shouldn't we send a submission to comreg on accessibility of
technology...This could turn into a debate and the digital change over
will have taken place before we even get an acknowledgement of
submission. regards confounded, confused and deluded Gerry
----- Original Message ----- From: "Mark Magennis" <Mark.magennis@xxxxxxx
>
To: <vicsireland@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thursday, December 15, 2011 10:21 AM
Subject: [vicsireland] Re: Review of Broadcasting Access Rules
Gerry,
Set top boxes are not covered by the access rules. The Access Rules only
cover content access services - audio description, subtitling, and sign
language. In fact, the BAI itself is only concerned with television
content. Technical aspects of broadcasting and networks are under the
remit of ComReg.
Mark
On 14 Dec 2011, at 21:41, GERARD SHANAHAN wrote:
Gerry, B.A.I. have provided documentation on access for consultation on
www.bai.ie/?page_id=2006 I've just downloaded them but haven't read them
yet maybe other people should have a look and make submissions before
closing date. Do you know if the topic of accessible set top boxes is
within the parameters? Gerry
----- Original Message ----- From: "Gerry Ellis"
<gerry.ellis@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>
To: <vicsireland@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Wednesday, December 14, 2011 8:47 PM
Subject: [vicsireland] Review of Broadcasting Access Rules
Hi,
These Access Rules are set by the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland, but
are
given statutory strength through the Sectoral Plans of the Disability
Act.
The old plans required 2% of Audio Description and 2% of Subtitling, but
neither of these targets were met.
I think it would be great if VICS made a submission on the review either
by
itself or as part of the TV Access group.
I would suggest that reference to the 21st Century Communications and
Video
Accessibility Act from the United States would be helpful as it has far
more
ambitious targets than anything that is likely to come from the BAI
itself.
See details of the call for submissions at:
http://www.emara.org/news/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=7054
Take care,
Gerry ellis
If you don't know where you're going,
How will you know when you get there?
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