NATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION OF KOREA Submission to the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities – July 2022 22-2 Accessibility of persons with disabilities to broadcast and online information □ Current status and problems ㅇ The Broadcasting Act and the Enforcement Decree of the same Act guarantee access to broadcasting by the disabled, and related notification stipulates the rate of the mandatory airing of program for persons with disabilities including closed captioning, sign language interpretation, and descriptive narration. ㅇ Currently, closed caption broadcasting aims for 100% for terrestrial broadcasting and comprehensive programming channel, but the goal is 10% for descriptive narration and 5% for sign language interpretation. 25 In addition, problems are raised concerning the programming of broadcasting for the persons with disabilities that are focused on specific program and specific time and quality of descriptive narration, closed captioning and sign language interpretation.26 ㅇ In the case of video-on-demand(VOD) platform services and over-the-top service(OTT), as there is no legal ground, most of the latest and overseas contents that are highly demanded are excluded from the obligation to provide disability broadcasting. In addition, unlike literary work, there is even a controversy over copyright violations when the original work of a video clip is processed for descriptive narration, etc.27 □ Recommendations ㅇ It is necessary to increase the target rate of sign language broadcasting and descriptive narration given to each broadcaster and the rate of provision of disability broadcasting of the latest content with high demand such as dramas and entertainment shows. In addition, measures to enhance the quality of broadcasting for the disabled should be devised including the introduction of a quality assessment system. ㅇ Related laws should be reorganized to expand the scope to VOD, OTT and other contents officially serviced both at home and abroad and to prevent copyright issues. 39