​Deaf people are missing out because on demand shows are not subtitled, says charity

Deaf people are missing out on top telly treats because of failures in subtitling.

More and more people watch programmes through on demand and streaming services – but more than three quarters of these are not subtitled.

The Action on Hearing Loss charity wants action to end this disparity, which was revealed in areport by the Authority for Television On Demand (ATVOD).

Chief executive Paul Breckell said: “This year ‘’binge-watch’’ was named word of the year, which highlights the monumental shift in the way we watch television.

If someone with hearing loss wants to catch up on the Downton Abbey festive special, they will struggle to watch it with subtitles

“But over Christmas if someone with hearing loss wants to catch up on the Downton Abbey festive special, depending on which subscription service they use, they will struggle to watch it with subtitles meaning that unless they watch the episode when it’s first broadcast they are likely to miss it altogether.

“Regulation is the only option to ensure that the provision of subtitles for on-demand services remains consistent amongst all broadcasters, with responsibility assigned for accessible content. While it’s encouraging to see some new developments with some of the major platforms due to improve their subtitling provision, it still means thousands of people with hearing loss will be digitally excluded this Christmas.

“We would like to thank ATVOD for their efforts and for working with us in such a constructive way despite having no legal powers to force broadcasters to make enhancements.

“We hope to see improvements now that Ofcom will bring video-on-demand programme services under their own remit to sit alongside its regulation of broadcast content to ensure that people with a hearing loss can access subtitles for whatever they watch and however they watch it.”