Bulgaria pushes for greater accessibility in media services

Bulgaria is stepping up its efforts to improve the accessibility of media services for persons with disabilities through a coordinated government-led meeting involving regulators, industry stakeholders, and disability organizations. 

The meeting, organised by the Electronic Media Council (CEM) brought together representatives of organizations for deaf, hard-of-hearing, and deaf-blind people, alongside technology companies, telecommunications providers, and digital industry associations. Discussions focused on identifying barriers that prevent people with disabilities from fully accessing media content and on developing practical solutions to address these challenges.

A key priority of the discussions was the expansion and improvement of accessibility features in media services, including subtitles, sign language interpretation, audio description, and accessible user interfaces. Participants emphasized that technological innovation should be leveraged to ensure that media content can be accessed by all citizens, regardless of disability.

Representatives of the deaf and deaf-blind communities highlighted ongoing difficulties in accessing television and on-demand media services, underscoring the need for more consistent and higher-quality accessibility provisions. Stakeholders agreed that stronger collaboration between regulators, media service providers, technology companies, and disability organizations is essential to achieving meaningful progress.

CEM Chair, Dr. Simona Veleva, announced plans to develop an action plan aimed at strengthening the implementation of accessibility requirements for media services. She stressed the importance of translating legislative obligations into concrete outcomes, particularly through the effective provision of on-demand subtitles and other accessibility services to which Bulgarian citizens are entitled.

The meeting also marked the beginning of a broader consultation process. Participants proposed expanding future discussions to include additional stakeholders, such as the Union of the Deaf in Bulgaria, national public and commercial media providers, and the Association of Bulgarian Radio and Television Operators, to support a comprehensive national approach to improving media accessibility.