Netflix is expanding Audio Descriptions and Subtitles for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing to more languages

News
By Oliver Haslam
published

Netflix on iPhone X
Netflix on iPhone X (Image credit: iMore)

What you need to know

  • Netflix has announced an expansion of accessibility features into more content and languages.
  • A new collection of content has been created that includes characters and stories related to disabilities.

Netflix has announced that it is expanding its language availability of Audio Descriptions (AD) and Subtitles for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (SDH) starting this month, although the project will spread into 2023. The announcement comes as part of the streamer's celebration of Global Accessibility Awareness Day.

The move was announced via press release and means that more people than ever will be able to watch Netflix content in a way that makes it more accessible to them. Netflix says that Spanish, Portuguese, Korean, and French languages are in the works while more content will also be getting support for AD and SDH.

Heather Dowdy, Director of Product Accessibility and a CODA (Child of Deaf Adults) herself, made the announcement.

How we access stories has changed a lot. Whether it's video conference calls, texting, or the flashing doorbell, nowadays technology can build bridges to access for many people living with disabilities. That's why today, to celebrate Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD), I'm excited to announce that we're expanding our language availability of Audio Descriptions (AD) and Subtitles for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (SDH). Starting this month and into 2023, these features will be made available across more of our catalog and in more languages including Spanish, Portuguese, Korean, and French. For decades, your access to entertainment was determined by where you lived and what language you spoke, meaning that until recently people who needed AD or SDH could only enjoy a story if it was made in their local language.

Netflix has also launched a new collection, titled 'Celebrating Disability with Dimension,' that features more than 50 shows and movies with characters and stories involving disabilities.

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Oliver Haslam
Oliver Haslam
Contributor

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too.

Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.