Netflix has quickly responded to criticism that Daredevil, a TV series about a blind superhero, isn't accessible to the blind, by adding audio descriptions to each episode for the company's visually impaired fans.
Netflix announced the addition of the audio descriptions to Daredevil on its blog:
"At Netflix, we work hard to continually improve the experience for our members when viewing movies and shows on our service, including providing accessibility across devices. Now we're expanding our accessibility options by adding audio description on select titles, beginning today with our new critically acclaimed series, Marvel's Daredevil."
The move comes shortly after Netflix received complaints over the series about a blind man not being readily accessible to the show's blind fans. Advocacy sites, such as "the accessible Netflix project," were particularly vocal about adding audio descriptions to the series, and CNBC contacted Netflix directly about the issue.
Netflix listened — and now people with visual impairments can enjoy Daredevil along with everyone else. Each scene has an audio description detailing the action occurring around the show's dialogue.
Netflix isn't stopping with Daredevil. The company made a commitment to make all of its original series blind-accessible and adding audio descriptions to House of Cards, Orange is the New Black, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and Marco Polo. The service also hopes to offer audio descriptions for other shows and movies across devices that support Netflix.
Unfortunately, there is still a catch with the Netflix audio descriptions — so far, they're only available in the U.S. Netflix has however assured users that the audio descriptions will eventually roll out worldwide and in multiple languages.
For those wanting to try the audio descriptions on Netflix, this post walks you through enabling the feature on Apple TV, as well as on iOS and Android devices.
There's no word yet on whether other online streaming content providers will offer audio descriptions soon — but it's likely that competitors will consider it now that Netflix has made the first move.
"We're all rejoicing over this news," reads the accessible Netflix project blog. "This marks a day for advancement. This is a day that proves that anything is possible and that other companies should follow suit. We're hoping Hulu and others follow Netflix's course of action. It's technically and financially doable, after all, so there isn't an excuse anymore."
[Photo Credit: Netflix]
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