One of the biggest issues for switchable signing is that it would require significant hardware support. Getting a manufacturer to support Audio Description for the partially sighted is difficult enough, but signing is an even smaller market to deal with.

I sit on various groups, including a variety of different accessibility forums and I am quite an advocate for accessible technology. However what I must accept is also the commercial view, there is a cost associated with every feature on a product. That cost can be very high and a return on investment is required. To justify the expense of adding a feature it must either contribute to sales or permit the price of a product to be increased without affecting sales. As a feature, video overlay has not been requested beyond the deaf community, so customers who do not request it will not pay for it. The fact that the market is relatively small means that it will not contribute significantly to sales (over 100,000 additional sales per supporting manufacturer would likely be required in this case).

Additionally for the broadcaster, they would need extra bandwidth to broadcast the separate video stream of the signer. This is difficult to justify on Freeview because of the already constrained bandwidth, but is perhaps more practical on Freesat.

To contrast all this doom and gloom, I have to say that new technology is beginning to make accessibility features easier to implement. We now have HD subtitles for HD chanels, AD is now required in most of the new specification documents and perhaps with some of the new hybrid set-top boxes (internet connected devices) on-screen signing need not be so niche. It might be possible for signing to be delivered over an IP connection and over-laid in one of the fancy new boxes that the industry is working on.

One thing I must say however User1111, you stated that there are niche channels for certain ethnic groups available and why not Deaf users. Well, for the most part this is down to the community making this possible. Channels such as BET, B4U, ZeeTV and others are operated as commercial businesses for their markets. When it comes to content the world is more accessible than ever, it would be relatively easy to start a small internet television channel which is totally sign-language based. The news channel Russia Today started that way and is now available via regular broadcasting and I understand the internet sports channel "Cycling TV" is quite profitable.

Technology is the great enabler, as a regular watcher of SeeHear in my youth (despite not having a hearing impairment) I remember when video-phones were first being used by deaf people and now with computers and the internet this technology is much more accessible. Webcams and video calling was not designed for the deaf, but the incremental sales volumes of the entire world market for them has given deaf people access to this advanced technology at a great price. Were I differently enabled in some way then I wouldn't seek for others to support me, I would look to engage in the best way possible towards integration with the mechanisms that society provides.

I think that internet television is the way forward for the deaf and I also feel that through the effect of market forces the technology will be affordable, not specialist and easy to use by all.

Bob

Just the other night, I was lying sleepless (a common problem for me unfortunately) and trying to find something to watch. I think it was Panorama I fancied watching but was put off by the signing (no PVR/HDR in bedroom, only Freeview TV).

Unfortunately I think you have more than demonstrated the kind of response you get if you complain about anything to do with a minority.

So what? It's a discussion forum is it not? Yes it is one of my pet hates (signing on TV - not deaf people), so I took the opportunity to have a moan. As usual I'm attacked for having a non-PC view, I'll shut up now.

I see what you are saying, but kids will be kids User and although they may mock with the language initially, I think as they mature and with parental guidance (sadly lacking these days) they will learn to use it constructively. Kids make fun of everything as many people who are bullied will testify too, so I'm glad it's being taught and see no reason to stop it.

Also, can I just say, that what you have said also goes both ways. I have seen deaf people 'isolate' the hearing. As you said, the deaf do indeed have their very own culture, which they enjoy, and many of them don't like having hearing folks around them when out with friends or at clubs etc. I have also seen them sign to each other and laugh at people knowing the hearing have no idea that they are doing it.

So in my view the sooner we can all sign and accept each other equally, the better

Do you know how long it takes to learn to sign competantly?

I've never seen anyone do it in r/l.

That's unfortunate but presumably it was pretty late.

Huh? Explain please. All I've done is explain what I think are the advantages of signing. It's called debating. You state your opinion, I state mine.

No one is attacking you, at least that was never my intent. We're just disagreeing. If you think I've been attacking you then please quote the appropriate text and explain why you think it's an attack. It occurs to me (no offense intended) that you are overly sensitive on this and perhaps other issues.

There is (or should be) a big difference between a debate and an attack. Textual communication can sometimes hide or blur the difference but I've been posting for long enough now (for over a decade now) to normally avoid that confusion.

Basic sign isn't that difficult, it's all the little add ons that the deaf have that can be confusing. TBH the deaf are remarkably good at picking up what you are saying even when you get it all wrong and make a complete fool of yourself

You should have a chinwag with Tern, he'll love you


Sorry Tern

FWIW, I took the above personally, maybe I shouldn't have, but what's done is done - let's move on.

http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showthread.php?t=1445821

I had to jump to 6th page of


before I saw the connection.
Some new interesting thoughts.
David

I can understand a need for Sign Language and it is a shame on the satellite platform they did not include support for a "picture in picture" feature which could have been used for other functions than just sign language.

Then you could have turned it on or off (assuming no humax bugs ).

In the short term I have suggested to them in the past that they start the program name in the guide with the SL prefix so you would know not to bother recording or watching the item or if you need SL it would be easier to find the correct programs.

Automan.

I think a Search EPG for S, AD and SL function might be too much for the programmers of our digital tuning thingamajigs, be they D-SAT, D-CAB or DTT, and broadcasters

The Radio Times TV Advanced Search http://www.radiotimes.com/jsp/advsearchtv.jsp does the job though!

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Disabled...ome/DG_4018341