Watching R-Day parade on TV to be more enjoyable for deaf

In a bid to make the Republic Day parade more enjoyable for hearing-impaired persons, the I&B Ministry has asked news channels to telecast signals from Doordarshan which provide sign language interpretation.

News channels should carry signals of the live telecast of this year's Republic Day parade from Doordarshan which provide sign language interpretation, the I&B ministry said in an advisory issued today.

The ministry said it had already been decided that three channels of Doordarshan -- DD News, DD Bharati and DD Urdu -- would provide sign language interpretation of the Republic Day Parade commentary to make the event more enjoyable for the hearing impaired.

All three channels are 'Must Carry' channels on the cable and satellite platform while DD News is also available on the terrestrial network.

The I&B has, thus, ensured that no hearing impaired citizen of the country is deprived of the opportunity to watch the Republic Day parade with sign language interpretation, the ministry said.

The I&B ministry had earlier asked Prasar Bharati for making provisions for having an inset box on TV screens during the telecast of the Republic Day ceremony, through which the sign language anchor could interpret the proceedings of the parade.

Doordarshan allows private channels to carry the feed of the Republic Day parade and commentary free of cost.

In its advisory, the ministry said media has been taking up issues of national interest and to facilitate access to the Republic Day parade and commentary to people with disabilities would be a step in the right direction.

Recently, I&B minister Manish Tewari had received a representation from National Association of the Deaf requesting to show sign language interpreter in an inset box on TV screens during coverage of the Republic Day Parade.

This initiative has been taken for the first time by the ministry and in the shortest possible duration, the statement released here said.