ACCESSIBILITY LENS

MEDIAC INC. is proud to announce its ACCESSIBILITY LENS, a new monitoring, validation and reporting service for accessible audio-visual content.

The ACCESSIBILITY LENS offers French and English TV stations, networks and producers two ways to monitor the quantity and quality of their programming that is accessible to hearing- and visually-impaired Canadians:

• Quantitative Measurement: A high-level review of accessible content, this measurement service quantifies the volume of closed-captioned and described video content, compares it with reporting logs, and correlates the data to CRTC programming categories and captioning style.
• Qualitative Measurement: Pending the outcome of the Canadian Association of Broadcaster's Working Group on Captioning Standards as well as the report by the Heritage Working Group for Descriptive Video standards, this measurement service provides a forensic audit of accessible program content, measuring not only the quantitative aspects of accessibility compliance, but other attributes related to quality.

The ACCESSIBILITY LENS will report on mechanisms and procedures related to controlling the quality of accessible content, using base-line and comparative measures. Results will be published in the 2011 publication of Monitor 2: Best Practices Guide for Production and Distribution of Accessible Content, a companion to the first 1995 Monitor study also undertaken by MEDIAC.

Along with its empirical tools and reporting services, MEDIAC INC. will provide clients with a comprehensive written report, outlining its methodology, its techniques and the results of its research. MEDIAC INC. will also appear before the CRTC upon client request.

ACCESSIBILITY LENS complies with sections 100 and 101 of Broadcasting and Telecom Regulatory Policy CRTC 2009-430. For more information and a rate card, please contact, Beverley Milligan, President and CEO, MEDIAC INC.