New research says more than 4 out of 5 deaf people have been excluded from watching favourite TV shows because of missing subtitles as viewers with hearing loss are left behind by the streaming revolution.
A new report from hearing loss charity RNID reveals that many deaf people and people with hearing loss are left feeling frustrated and excluded when subtitles aren’t available. The Subtitle It report lays bare the barriers some viewers face when trying to access TV programmes on catch-up services including ITVX and Channel 4 streaming (formerly known as All 4).
The charity surveyed 1,370 people who are deaf or have hearing loss, of which 97% said there were no subtitles on a programme they wanted to watch on-demand. 85% of people stopped watching the programme as a result, leaving the majority feeling frustrated, disappointed and excluded.
There are currently large variations between platforms, with subtitles not automatically available on all devices. Notably ITVX launched last December without subtitles being available on a number of devices.
RNID is calling on the government to introduce the Media Bill to Parliament as soon as possible to give deaf people and people with hearing loss equal access to TV on-demand. The Media Bill will:
- Require broadcasters to subtitle 80% of their content and provide signing for 5% of content
- Require services and third-party platforms to work together to resolve technical difficulties in providing subtitles
- Ensure viewers have a more consistent experience watching accessible content, regardless of what platform or device they use
Charlotte Hyde, 25, from Derbyshire is moderately deaf. She said:
“It’s really important for me that subtitles are more readily available on-demand because, at the moment, I don’t get to sit down and watch things with my hearing family.
And that feels really unfair, especially in a modern-day world where we’re all busy, we all have jobs and we might not be able to watch something live.
When subtitles aren’t readily available, it makes me anxious. When I try to access an on-demand service, that feeling of, ‘are there going to be subtitles or not?’ I shouldn’t have to feel this – things should just be there and ready. If you can broadcast a TV show live with subtitles, why can’t it be on-demand? It’s upsetting and frustrating that this continues to happen.
Brent Stanbridge, 71, from Hertfordshire, who has severe hearing loss, says there’s “no point [watching TV] without subtitles”.
He said:
“I probably spend most evenings watching TV with my wife and I rely on subtitles to understand what’s being said.
A friend told us of a new series that had started that was worth watching so we set it up to record, but we’d missed the first two episodes. We went to watch it on catch up, only to find it wasn’t subtitled, and halfway through I gave up trying to follow the plot – there’s no point without subtitles.
It makes me feel fed up, sad, angry, and excluded because of my deafness.”
Teri Devine, Director for Inclusion at RNID, said:
“It’s absolutely unacceptable that so many deaf people and people with hearing loss are not able to access the programmes they want to watch on-demand, and are excluded from watching TV with their families, because subtitles aren’t available.
“The government promised to provide equal access to TV on-demand services six years ago when the Digital Economy Act was passed, and yet we are still waiting.
“Major on-demand services such as All4 and ITV X reported 0% subtitled content on some platforms in 2022, and the total provision of signed content remains incredibly low at 2.3%*.
Deaf people and people with hearing loss deserve better than this: the government must stop delaying and act now to make television and on-demand services accessible for all of us.”
* Ofcom’s Television and On-demand Access Services report for 2022.
[Image: RNID]