OTT accessibility guidelines for hearing, visually impaired to be finalised in 3 months: Delhi HC told

In a significant development, the Delhi High Court has been informed by the Centre that it plans to finalize accessibility guidelines for individuals with hearing and visual impairments on over-the-top (OTT) platforms within three months. This announcement came during a recent court session where Justice Sachin Datta acknowledged the government's commitment to these guidelines. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) has already published a draft of these guidelines on its official website, inviting feedback from stakeholders and the public. This move follows a petition filed by visually impaired individuals who expressed concerns over the lack of accessibility features in recent Bollywood releases on OTT platforms. Justice Datta noted that the MIB's counsel assured the court that the suggestions provided by the petitioners would be taken into serious consideration prior to finalizing the guidelines. He stated, "The final guidelines shall be issued within three months, and no further directives are necessary at this stage." This ruling comes after the judge previously called for the guidelines to comply with the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act. The petitioners raised issues regarding the draft guidelines, arguing that the MIB had engaged predominantly with industry members rather than consulting directly with people with disabilities. They emphasized the importance of including all stakeholders in the conversation. The court has also allowed the petitioners the opportunity to respond to the draft guidelines, indicating that they could pursue legal action if they felt their concerns were not addressed adequately.