Globally, over one billion people live with disabilities. According to the latest data from the National Centre for Public Health and Analysis, the number of people diagnosed with “deafness” in Bulgaria in 2022 is close to 3000. Although a sign language law was adopted only three years ago to official recognise BGSL (Bulgarian Sign Language) as a distinct language, the country still faces a shortage of sign language interpreters.
On the occasion of Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD), bTV undertook an initiative to highlight the importance of accessibility in TV. This effort extended beyond content to include advertising, emphasising the need for inclusion in all aspects of broadcasting.
On GAAD, 16 May 2024, bTV dedicated a portion of its daily morning news programming to raise awareness about accessibility issues, focusing on communication for people with hearing impairment or permanent hearing loss. The channel featured personal stories of the sign language interpreters who work behind the scenes to make their programmes accessible. These interpreters shared their journeys, many motivated by personal connections to the deaf community.
For instance, one of the interpreters, Neri, is a child of deaf parents herself and learned sign language as her first language, even before Bulgarian Another interpreter, Kamelia Zaharieva, got introduced to the community following a personal relationship. She is a teacher at the Special School for Hearing Impaired Students in Sofia, and she discussed the challenges deaf students face with standard textbooks, emphasising the need for materials in sign language for better comprehension at school.
Kamelia and Neri, along with Silvia Marinova, translate the broadcasts of the live bTV News into sign language. This GAAD initiative brought their stories to the forefront, highlighting their invaluable contributions to making television accessible to thousands of people who rely on these services.
In addition to featuring these personal stories, bTV also added closed captioning to the content, ensuring that it was accessible to as many viewers as possible.
bTV extended its commitment to accessibility to the commercial breaks as well. Believing that advertising should be as accessible as the content, bTV, in partnership with Procter & Gamble, an advertiser who recognizes accessibility as its mission, made a statement by broadcasting all P&G commercials on 16th May without sound and with added subtitles.
The ad break featured the following P&G brands: Always Ultra, Pampers, Head&Shoulders, Fairy, Lenor, Naturella, Discreet, Old Spice, Swiffer, Pantene. Before the ad break aired, a title screen appeared with the following message: “This ad is silent! Procter & Gamble chooses to broadcast the ads you are about to watch in solidarity with the individuals with hearing impairment.”
The aim was to give hearing audiences a sense of the experience of deaf and hearing-impaired viewers. The initiative aimed to demonstrate the importance of making advertisements accessible, ensuring that viewers with hearing impairments could fully understand the commercials.
bTV’s initiatives on GAAD showcased a comprehensive approach to accessibility, covering both content and advertising. By featuring the personal stories of their sign language interpreters and making a statement using some of the available advertising practices, bTV highlighted the importance of accessibility and inclusion in media. These efforts not only raised awareness but also set a standard for other broadcasters to follow, ensuring that all viewers, regardless of their hearing abilities, can access and enjoy television content.
“As a national media group that enjoys the trust and confidence of our diverse audience, we are always working on being as inclusive as possible – both in terms of awareness and leading by example. We see an overall industry movement in the direction of accessibility from both advertisers and media outlets, and recongize our role in that process. We are always ready to support our clients and partners in their projects, as well as create opportunities for them to get inspired in terms of advertising. By highlighting the everyday efforts of professionals such as sign language interpreters and the continuity in Procter & Gamble’s silent campaigns, we not only include social groups that might be somewhat on the sidelines of information streams, but also illustrate how effortlessly ads can become more accessible.”
Sales Director, bTV Media Group
OTHER CASE STUDIES
FTP OFFERS SUBTITLING ON COMMERCIALS DURING THE OLYMPIC AND PARALYMPIC GAMES
18. 7. 2024FTP: Reinforcing its commitment to social inclusion According to the World Health Organization (WHO), almost 200 million people in the wider European region experience some degree of hearing loss. This is a significant health issue around the globe, and France is no exception, with serious hearing loss affecting nearly 10% of the French population. As… Continue reading GLOBAL ACCESSIBILITY AWARENESS DAY: HIGHLIGHTING THE VALUE OF SIGN LANGUAGE AND SUBTITLES ON TV
CHANNEL 4 INTRODUCES SUBTITLED ADS AND ACCESSIBLE SPONSORSHIP FOR PARIS 2024 PARALYMPICS
18. 7. 2024The most accessible games yet Channel 4 announced that all advertising on its network during the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games will carry subtitles. This enhances Channel 4’s commitment to making its coverage of the Games the most accessible yet. The commitment builds on the previously announced goal to include subtitles on the broadcast of all… Continue reading GLOBAL ACCESSIBILITY AWARENESS DAY: HIGHLIGHTING THE VALUE OF SIGN LANGUAGE AND SUBTITLES ON TV
DPG MEDIA AND GAIA’S UNITED EFFORT TO FIGHT PUPPY MILLS
20. 6. 2024Puppy mills, where dogs are bred for profit with little regard for their welfare, remain a troubling issue. To combat this, GAIA, a Belgian non-profit organisation dedicated to animal rights, partnered with Integreate by DPG Media to launch an impactful media campaign. This campaign not only raised significant awareness but also earned prestigious awards, including… Continue reading GLOBAL ACCESSIBILITY AWARENESS DAY: HIGHLIGHTING THE VALUE OF SIGN LANGUAGE AND SUBTITLES ON TV
DRIVING CREATIVITY: VOLKSWAGEN AND CANAL+ BRAND SOLUTIONS’ TIGUAN CAMPAIGN
20. 6. 2024Tiger + Iguana = Tiguan Showcasing creativity and innovation, CANAL+ BRAND SOLUTIONS and Volkswagen launched an outstanding campaign for the new Tiguan, featuring eye-catching 3D animation. The campaign was executed with the help of Re-mind PHD, its creative department Fuse, the DDB agency, and CANAL+ BRAND SOLUTIONS’ creative entity, CANAL BRAND Factory. The primary aim… Continue reading GLOBAL ACCESSIBILITY AWARENESS DAY: HIGHLIGHTING THE VALUE OF SIGN LANGUAGE AND SUBTITLES ON TV
ITV LAUNCH TWO CREATIVE AD BREAKS TO RAISE AWARENESS FOR GLOBAL ACCESSIBILITY AWARENESS DAY (GAAD)
23. 5. 2024On the occasion of Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD), ITV launched two creative ad breaks designed to raise awareness about accessibility and inclusion. These ad breaks were featured on ITV1 and during “This Morning,” a daytime talk show. With 12 million adults in the UK living with deafness, hearing loss, or tinnitus, and over 2… Continue reading GLOBAL ACCESSIBILITY AWARENESS DAY: HIGHLIGHTING THE VALUE OF SIGN LANGUAGE AND SUBTITLES ON TV
GLOBAL ACCESSIBILITY AWARENESS DAY: HIGHLIGHTING THE VALUE OF SIGN LANGUAGE AND SUBTITLES ON TV
23. 5. 2024Globally, over one billion people live with disabilities. According to the latest data from the National Centre for Public Health and Analysis, the number of people diagnosed with “deafness” in Bulgaria in 2022 is close to 3000. Although a sign language law was adopted only three years ago to official recognise BGSL (Bulgarian Sign Language)… Continue reading GLOBAL ACCESSIBILITY AWARENESS DAY: HIGHLIGHTING THE VALUE OF SIGN LANGUAGE AND SUBTITLES ON TV
NEW ATTENTION RESEARCH FROM FRENCH TV TRADE BODY SNPTV
18. 4. 2024SNPTV, the trade body representing TV sales houses in France, embarked on a journey to unravel the mysteries of audience attention within the ever-evolving landscape of TV and video advertising. In an era marked by unprecedented fragmentation in media consumption, understanding the attention of consumers has emerged as a key metric for advertisers. With an… Continue reading GLOBAL ACCESSIBILITY AWARENESS DAY: HIGHLIGHTING THE VALUE OF SIGN LANGUAGE AND SUBTITLES ON TV
DEGREE US: ‘NOT DONE YET’ CAMPAIGN WITH AD AND OPEN CAPTIONS
29. 3. 2024Background More than 60 million people in the US live with a disability, yet products and experiences are still not designed with this community in mind. Degree Inclusive packaging and inclusive advertising ensure that people with disabilities have an equal playing field. Creative Degree® is committed to inspiring the confidence in everyone to move beyond… Continue reading GLOBAL ACCESSIBILITY AWARENESS DAY: HIGHLIGHTING THE VALUE OF SIGN LANGUAGE AND SUBTITLES ON TV
BRIDGING BRAND, CONTENT, AND AUDIENCE VALUES – RAI PUBBLICITÀ’S INNOVATIVE VALUE PLANNING TOOL
22. 3. 2024Rai Pubblicità’s ‘Value Planning’ initiative, showcased at egta’s MIM (Market Intelligence Meeting) in Madrid, aims to bridge the gap between the values reflected in media content and the evolving values of our society. This unique approach represents a significant step forward in understanding how audience values intersect with Rai’s editorial content. Developed in collaboration with… Continue reading GLOBAL ACCESSIBILITY AWARENESS DAY: HIGHLIGHTING THE VALUE OF SIGN LANGUAGE AND SUBTITLES ON TV
THE EFFECTIVENESS OF BROADCAST SPONSORSHIP: CHANNEL 4 SALES’ SPONSORSHIP ROCKS
21. 3. 2024In a landscape where brand safety and transparency are paramount concerns within the media industry, Channel 4 Sales has recently unveiled the results of its exclusive Sponsorship Rocks study. This comprehensive analysis provides compelling insights for brands navigating the complex world of advertising. Over almost 240 sponsorships and 666 waves of research involving more than… Continue reading GLOBAL ACCESSIBILITY AWARENESS DAY: HIGHLIGHTING THE VALUE OF SIGN LANGUAGE AND SUBTITLES ON TV
CANAL+ BRAND SOLUTIONS’ INNOVATIVE AI ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN FOR AUDI CREATES A WINTER WONDERLAND ON SCREENS
15. 2. 2024In a groundbreaking move that seamlessly combines technology, creativity, and automotive innovation, the creative entity of Canal+ Brand Solutions recently unveiled a captivating advertising campaign for the new Audi SQ8 Sportback e-tron and its e-quattro technology. The French-based team, in collaboration with Re-Mind PHD, Brand Content Fuse, and Canal Brand Factory, introduced an innovative television… Continue reading GLOBAL ACCESSIBILITY AWARENESS DAY: HIGHLIGHTING THE VALUE OF SIGN LANGUAGE AND SUBTITLES ON TV
THE MASKED SINGER: DPG MEDIA AND JBC’S CREATIVE COLLABORATION
15. 2. 2024While business partnerships and collaborations are key, joining forces in showcasing creativity can prove to be quite challenging, yet equally rewarding. Such was the case with the constructive partnership between DPG Media and Belgian fashion retailer JBC. The companies pulled off a successful collaborative campaign combining the fame of The Masked Singer competition with the… Continue reading GLOBAL ACCESSIBILITY AWARENESS DAY: HIGHLIGHTING THE VALUE OF SIGN LANGUAGE AND SUBTITLES ON TV
