May 16th 2024.
Mumbai: In honor of Global Accessibility Awareness Day, Disney Star has joined hands with India Signing Hands to announce the introduction of an Indian Sign Language feed for the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. This exciting development will be available starting June 1st and will cover 10 matches, including the highly anticipated India matches, semifinals, and finals. Additionally, the company will also offer an audio descriptive feed, along with the Indian sign language feed, on both Disney+ Hotstar and Star Sports Network.
"This is a groundbreaking moment as it marks the first time that the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup will be broadcast with sign language and descriptive commentary. This will greatly enhance the viewing experience for our deaf, hard-of-hearing, and visually impaired viewers. We are proud to announce that Disney+ Hotstar will be the first OTT platform to offer ISL for live cricket," shared the live-streaming platform in a press release.
Speaking about this initiative, Minister of Information & Broadcasting and Youth Affairs & Sports, Anurag Singh Thakur, praised Star Sports and Disney+ Hotstar, saying, "I commend them for introducing Indian Sign Language and Audio Descriptive commentary during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024. The Government of India is committed to building an inclusive society, and I am confident that this move will make a positive impact on the millions of differently-abled sports enthusiasts."
Sajith Sivanandan, Head of Disney+ Hotstar India, added, "This is a testament to our dedication to promoting inclusivity and serving all our users. With these enhancements, we want to ensure that the thrill of cricket knows no boundaries."
Sanjog Gupta, Head of Sports at Disney Star, expressed his excitement and said, "The introduction of descriptive and Indian sign language feeds during IPL 2024 received an overwhelmingly positive response. We are thrilled to extend this initiative to the ICC Men's T20 World Cup, making cricket fandom and experiences more accessible and inclusive. This also showcases a more inclusive picture of India's beloved sport, and we are honored to be a part of it."
The sign language feed will have a translator providing a comprehensive ball-by-ball update during the live stream. The audio descriptive feed will be enhanced by voice-over technology, which can convert text and images into speech output, making it easier for our visually impaired users to navigate through the Disney+ Hotstar app.
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