Access Services Experts

The EBU Access Services Experts Group brings together Access Service experts with responsibilities covering subtitling, signed programmes, audio description and audio subtitling which enable sensory challenged people but also persons with intellectual disabilities, dyslexia or language difficulties to access public broadcasters all over Europe.

The group is a platform for decision-makers within EBU Members but also welcomes other entities such as universities, regulators, suppliers and associations. The group is headed by a bureau.

Goals

The EBU Access Services Experts Group aims to provide initiatives of the highest quality, celebrate excellence and innovation, and encourage pan-European collaboration while at the same time providing its Members with industry information.

Its main goals are to:

• discuss the future development of Access Services
• present showcases
• stimulate and support the exchange of technologies, products and services
• achieve standardization in order to develop common formats, guidelines, processes and legislation for authorities and stakeholders 
• conduct surveys and disseminate statistics

Plenary Meeting

Access Services experts gather once a year to discuss the most important questions during a plenary session which over the years has become the central meeting point for those working in accessibility services across EBU organizations. Members come together to share projects, describe best practices and learn from others’ innovations and novel approaches. The meeting is open to all EBU Members and to special guests by invitation.

Events and presentations

2021

• Access Services "Coffee & Learn" webinar on Strategy, 16 November, Online
• Access Services webinar #2 on Digital accessibility, 30 September, Online
• Access Services webinar #1 on Audio accessibility, 22 June, Online 

2015-2020

• 2020 Access Services experts meeting, 11 November, Online
• 2019 Access Services plenary event, 17-18 October, Dublin (hosted by RTÉ)
• 2018 Access Services plenary event, 8-9 November, Geneva (hosted by RTS)
• 2017 Access Services plenary event, 8-9 October, Copenhagen (hosted by DR)
• 2016 Access Services plenary event, 1-2 November, Berlin (hosted by RBB/ARD)
• 2015 Access Services pleanary event, 13 October, Brussels (hosted by EBU)