The PN says that national TV should carry subtitles for deaf people
The Nationalist Party said that the programs on the national television channels should have subtitles so that the deaf can follow them. There are funds from the EU specifically for this, and so far it has not been exploited by Malta, said the PN.
While the feature is now a mainstay on Netflix, Disney and a growing portion of European national television channels, subtitles on the screen in Malta stay away[da elu]yes, said the PN. The party claims that there is an increase demand among Maltese viewers, especially those with hearing loss. The Malta Deaf and Hard of Hearing Association has been insisting for the last years on the need for an inclusive subtitling experience in local media.
According to the last Government census of 2011 on persons with disabilities, there are 5,673 locals who are deaf or have partial hearing loss. “The Equal Opportunities Act (Disabled Persons)” notes that every individual with a disability must have the right to freedom of expression, opinion, and association, including ‘the right to seek, receive, and transmit information and ideas on an equal footing with others and through any means of communication he or she chooses‘.
To this day however, no local platform is supported with subtitles. Out of 102 programs on the National TV channel, only two programs were subtitled during neither[[arsenaqalil-PN.
Il-kwistjoni ħadet dimensjoni Ewropea mit-28 ta’ Ġunju 2022 kienet l-iskadenza għall-Istati Membri biex jittrasponu l- Att Ewropew dwar l-Aċċessibilità fil-liġi nazzjonali. Id-Direttiva Ewropea ġiet adottata preċiżament biex tiżgura aċċess usa’ għall-informazzjoni u s-servizzi tal-konsumatur permezz ta’ aċċessibbiltà aħjar fuq diversi prodotti u servizzi inkluż il-midja awdjoviżiva.
S’issa, iżda, m’hi prevista l-ebda azzjoni biex bil-mod il-mod jiġu prodotti programmi bis-sottotitoli fuq it-TV nazzjonali f’Malta, qal il-PN.
Graziella Galea, kelliem tal-PN għal Persuni b’Diżabilità, tinsisti li a pjan serju u professjonali huwa meħtieġ biex daħħal l-impenji Maltin u Ewropej azzjoni kemm jista’ jkun malajr, biex gradwalment jipprovdu sottotitli għal ammont dejjem jikber ta’ produzzjonijiet fuq it-TV nazzjonali u eventwalment jappoġġjaw ukoll stazzjonijiet tat-TV privati li jridu jiżguraw aċċessibbiltà usa’ għall-programmi tagħhom.
Peter Agius, kelliem tal-PN u espert tal-UE, jenfasizza l-opportunità Ewropea marbuta mas-sottotitoli. Agius jirrimarka li l-programm Creative Europe Media jipprevedi appoġġ għal proġetti speċifiċi għall-istazzjonijiet tat-TV biex jiżguraw aċċessibbiltà usa’ tal-kontenut tagħhom permezz tas-sottotitoli.
“Irridu naħtfu opportunitajiet tal-UE bħal dawn biex ngħinu lil Malta tikseb soċjetà tassew inklużiva. Għall-persuni neqsin mis-smigħ, il-possibbiltà ta’ sottotitli fuq it-TV, ġrajjiet kurrenti jew programmi ta’ divertiment tinbidel ħafna u timmarka d-differenza bejn li tkun parti importanti mis-soċjetà jew li tħossok imwarrab u eskluż. Ejjew nużaw l-għodod Ewropej biex ngħinu lin-nies tagħna lokalment,” qal Peter Agius.
Iż-żewġ rappreżentanti tal-PN jgħidu li l-inizjattiva riċenti tal-gvern biex titqajjem kuxjenza dwar l-indeboliment tas-smigħ hija pass tajjeb ‘il quddiem. Huma jżidu madankollu li l-awtorità pubblika għandha timxi minn kliem ta’ simpatija għal azzjonijiet konkreti biex tiżgura b’mod effettiv aċċessibbiltà usa’ għal dawk li jinstemgħu.