Question NW2995 to the Minister of Communications

Reply:

I have been advised by the department as follows: 

The SABC has ensured reasonable accommodation of deaf and blind employees. For deaf employees the SABC arranges interpreters during meetings and employee communication sessions. Sign language training is also provided to employees.

For blind employees the SABC has installed special software on their personal computers that translates written information into audio.

To cater for this target audience, SABC broadcasts a tailor-made programme aimed at the deaf community in the form of “Deaf TV”. This is a weekly show that broadcast on Saturdays. This programme is currently on repeat, due to the production company not wanting to continue with any further seasons. A new RFP for another programme to broadcast on SABC 2 has been released and will be for the deaf and blind communities. Daily Thetha, on SABC 1 also has sign language.

SABC News also accommodates viewers with hearing impairments by providing on-screen sign language interpretation on a number of News Bulletins in Prime Time.

The wall- to-wall subtitling is covered on the following local content genres on all channels:

• Children’s
• Local Dramas, Sitcoms and Soaps - All the local prime time soaps have wall to wall subtitling
• Most Local Documentaries
• Most Educational programming
• A selection of Entertainment and Religious programming (including daily devotions)

 Programmes that incorporate studio audiences and contestants with disabilities:

• Authentiek (where the co-presenter is the paraplegic South African singer Mathys Roets)
• YoTV
• Noot vir Noot
• Musiek Roulette
• Motswako
• Hectic Nine-9
• It’s Gospel Time
• Gospel Classics
• Daily Thetha
• Dtv

In the SABC’s Strategic Content Plans, the Corporation strives to pay very specific attention to the issues raised by the disabled communities, possible solutions and how we can best embrace these in creating programming that will empower this marginalized sector of our population.

 

Ms. Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams, MP

Minister

Date: