Sky for Visual Impairment
Audio Description at Sky
We provide audio description for 28% of our shows on 25 of our channels, and Sky News and Sky Sports News have a high level of spoken content. This is almost triple what Ofcom requires us to do under the 2003 Communications Act and Ofcom Code on Television Access Services.
It’s not just about quantity. We’re very proud of our approach to audio description, and the quality it lets us offer. We work with fantastic audio describers, and make sure we match them well to shows that suit their voice and area of expertise. We keep the same audio describer across episodes of a series, and subsequent series, as they become part of the show.
Our Media Management team make sure they carefully pick the shows we audio describe, making sure all flagship and whole series are covered for continuity and completeness. Take a look at Ciaran’s blog where he talks about his job as a Sky audio describer, and let us know what you think.
Other broadcasters provide their own audio description – find out more in Ofcom’s report for the first half of 2016.
Settings on your Sky box
Whether you have Sky+ or Sky Q, it’s easy to find the entertainment you love.
Each Sky box has:
• High-contrast settings to make it easier to read and get around your TV Guide
• Clear signposts for entertainment with Audio Description – just look for [AD] in the show’s information
• A beep sound to signal shows with Audio Description when you flick through channels
• The option to highlight shows with Audio Description in a different colour so they stand out in your TV Guide
• An easy way to record series at the touch of a button so you can watch audio described shows from your Planner
• Shortcuts to turn Audio Description on and off
You can search for shows with Audio Description in What's on TV. It's a full TV listing for the next seven days, and includes Remote Record.
To find out more and see how you can adjust your settings, take a look at our support articles for Sky Q and Sky+.
Sky Q also has Voice Search – just use your Sky Q remote to tell your box what you’re looking for. It’ll improve as it stores the types of shows you like, making it even easier to find what you want to watch.
Making the most of Sky Apps and text to speech
Companion apps complement your Sky experience. They bring you TV shows and breaking news, and you can manage your account too.
If you have Sky+, see how using VoiceOver or Talkback in our Sky+ app can help you look around the TV Guide and control your Sky+HD box.
If you have Sky Q, see what our Sky Q app can do for you, and how we developed it to work with VoiceOver and TalkBack.
You’ll find even more apps at Sky Apps
Sky remotes
Whether you have Sky+ or Sky Q, we have a remote to suit your needs.
Got Sky+? You can order an accessible remote or use our Sky+ app with or without VoiceOver and TalkBack.
With Sky Q, you can get our Sky Q Multiscreen remote and our accessible remote. Read more about each one in our support articles to make the most of them.
Our Sky+ and Sky Q remotes are available in range of designs – take a look:
Sky+ Remote Controls Sky Q Remote Controls
Our service to you
Our dedicated Accessibility Customer Service team is fully trained to help you with all our products and services. They’re available seven days a week, between 8am and 11pm. There is an out of hours service on our main number if you have an emergency, such as a fault on your telephone line.
No matter what the query, we tailor our support to help you get the most from Sky. Get in touch to register your account so we can offer a more personalised service.
Register to take part in product testing
We work closely with a small group of customers who test changes to our products, or try new ones, so we know how they perform before they go live. We call them our Beta Community. Their feedback helps us make our products the best they can be when they launch.
It’s really important that we have a wide range of customers and abilities represented in our Beta Community, so we often introduce new people to the group to make sure we meet our criteria – if you’d like to join in, we’d love to hear from you. You’d talk with the group and our colleagues on our Beta Community pages in a private area at sky.com. Taking part is voluntary, and because you’d get to see our products before anyone else, we ask that you keep everything confidential.
Interested? Please fill in our questionnaire by clicking on the button below to get in touch:
You can also read Michelle's blog on her experience part of the Beta Community and her role in the launch of subtitles on demand.
