From: Brian Rope [mailto:dfa1@ozemail.com.au]
Sent: Monday, 22 January, 2001 12:50
To: disability@humanrights.gov.au
Subject: Television Captioning
Mr Graeme Innes AM
Deputy Disability Discrimination Commissioner HREOC
Dear Graeme
This is a late response to the request for comments on your proposal to recommend that, at this point in time, the captioning standards provide an adequate remedy. I hope it is not too late to be taken into consideration.
The request for comments notes that the captioning standards applying from 1 January 2001 do not address some of the programs with which the 1999 complaints were concerned.
A remaining concern, therefore, is whether the industry is committed to further progress in future.
Is there an adequate mechanism to ensure proper progress towards captioning of all free-to-air programs? The way forward is not clear.
There is a need for a commitment by the TV industry to future progress. The current situation must not be seen as the end point.
Therefore, before terminating the 1999 complaints, we would suggest that you seek to ensure a satisfactory arrangement is in place that ensures future progress.
The Deafness Forum would be pleased to participate in any process that the Commission might decide to put in place seeking to achieve this.
Yours sincerely
Brian C Rope, OAM
Chief Executive Officer
Deafness Forum of Australia
218 Northbourne Avenue
Braddon ACT 2612
Tel: 02 6262 7808
TTY: 02 6262 7809
Fax: 02 6262 7810
E-mail: dfa1@ozemail.com.au
