Guidelines at a glance
This page provides a listing of all the universal design guidelines for digital tv eqipment and services organised in 4 sections:
1. consumer equipment - section introduction and index
- hardware, connectivity and set up
- ensure that packaging is safe and easy to open
- include all essential accessories
- ensure that external connections are easy to reach, clearly marked and secure
- automatically tune in and number channels and inform users of changes
- allow operation without the remote control
- ensure that users can easily restart the equipment after a failure
- allow users to select preferences on initial set-up, with universal defaults
- provide a headphone facility with separate controls
- on-screen interfaces
- make navigation and menu selection easy
- ensure that information can be understood by all users
- ensure that text and graphics are readable by users with limited vision or reading disorders
- ensure that information is available to users with no sight
- ensure that information is available to users who are deaf or hard of hearing
- ensure that users know when content access services are available
- ensure that users always know what is happening
- eliminate the risk of causing seizures
- allow individual users to quickly configure the user interface according to their needs and preferences
- remote controls
- ensure that the remote control is as simple as possible, given the required functionality
- ensure that the remote control can be used with low physical effort
- ensure that the remote control can be used by people with limited vision
- ensure that the remote control can be used without requiring sight
- ensure that the remote control can be used by people who have difficulty reading or understanding text or symbols
- provide convenient access to essential universald design features via the remote control
- content access service provision
- spoken output
- documentation and consumer information
2. Programme content - section introduction and index
- flashing content
- text and graphics displayed within a programme
- language translation
- subtitles for people who are deaf or hard of hearing
- ensure that subtitles are easy to read
- ensure that subtitles match the timing of on-screen activity
- subtitle all relevant audio content
- ensure that subtitles provide equivalent information
- adopt recognised good practice style guidelines for subtitling where they exist
- test the quality of subtitles and invite audience feedback
- audio discription
- sources of information used for the guidelines on audio description
- priorities programmes according to the costs and benefits of audio description
- describe the most relevant visual content
- ensure that descriptions are accurate and unfiltered
- insert descriptions between the programme sounds
- adopt a style that is easy to listen to and unobtrusive
- use language and a style of delivery that is consistent with the programme content
- adopt a language and style that is suited to the audience
- adopt recognised good practice style guidelines where they exist
- test the quality of audio description and invite audience feedback
- spoken subtitles
- sign language interpreting
- sources of information used for the guidelines on sign language interpreting
- priortise programmes according to the costs and benefits of signing
- ensure that the signing is understandable
- ensure that the signer is easy to see and read
- ensure that the timing of signing is relevant to the on-screen activity
- ensure that interpretations provide equivalent information
- use language and a style of delivery that is consistent with the programme content
- test the quality of sign language interpretation and invite audience feedback
3. customer services - section introduction and index
- develop universal customer service policies and procedures
- train staff in universal customer service
- ensure that public premises are accessible to and usable by all customers
- use appropriate means to communicate with customers
- where possible,provide personal assistance
- ensure that customers are aware of the universal design features of products and services
4. additional resources - section introduction and index