Warner Bros. Discovery Launches Audio Description On Three, Making TV Accessible For Blind And Low-vision New Zealanders

For the first time, New Zealanders who are blind, deafblind, visually impaired and low-vision can access audio description on channel Three.

In partnership with The Media Access Charitable Trust (Able), Warner Bros. Discovery has developed its platforms to host audio description provided by Able, opening up Three’s content to the 180,000+ New Zealanders who are blind, deafblind, vision impaired and low-vision.

Audio description is now available on primetime Three shows Nadia’s Farm and Wild Heroes, and select other programming.

Juliet Peterson, Senior Director Content ANZ, Warner Bros. Discovery says: “It’s incredibly important to serve all New Zealand audiences and we are thrilled to partner with Able to introduce audio descriptions, enabling people who are blind, deafblind, visually impaired and low-vision to engage with our content on Three. We look forward to growing the amount of audio description content available as our service expands.”

Dan Buckingham, Able’s Chief Executive says: “It’s fantastic to celebrate the launch of audio description on Three! While we’ve been delivering audio description to New Zealand audiences since 2011, this is a significant milestone in our quest to make more content accessible and have it available in more places, working towards our ultimate vision of an Aotearoa where everyone has equal access to audiovisual media.”

The Association of Blind Citizens of New Zealand, New Zealand’s leading blindness consumer organisation, says: “Blind Citizens NZ applauds the collective efforts of Able and Warner Bros. Discovery in bringing more audio-described television content to the blind community.” National President Jonathan Godfrey says, “It’s a great achievement to see a commercial broadcaster going the extra mile and introducing audio description for the blind community. This will increase the range of programmes and hours of audio description for us and others who benefit.”

About Audio Description:

Audio Description is an alternate audio track that narrates the on-screen action, so that people who are blind, deafblind, visually impaired or low vision can follow the story.

A full list of free-to-air audio described content can be found here: https://able.co.nz/audio-description/audio-described-listings/.

Instructions to turn on AD can be found here: https://able.co.nz/audio-description/how-to-access/.

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