Universal accessibility at Radiotelevisión del Principado de Asturias (RTPA): Regulatory analysis and the perception of audiences with sensory impairment and the elderly

Abstract

In the current media context, characterized by platformization, universal accessibility to audiovisual communication has become a fundamental aspect for the fulfilment of democratic principles. This obliges public service media corporations to base their public value strategy on the guarantee of universality. This value is especially relevant for people with disabilities and elderly viewers, as it is directly linked to the principle of equality enshrined in the Spanish Constitution and the legal framework protecting the right to access information in Spanish society. Based on the case study of Radiotelevisión del Principado de Asturias (RTPA), this research analyses the legal framework and the perception of audiences with sensory disabilities and older adults regarding accessibility services, in order to explore whether the Asturian medium guarantees full access to broadcast audiovisual content. Using a qualitative methodological approach, both the regulation was revised and two focus groups were conducted: one focused on people over 65 and the other on people with disabilities. The results show that the participants who took part in the research recognizes that they make extensive use of RTPA’s content, particularly the news programmes. However, despite the undeniable progress made by the Asturian media in terms of accessibility, Asturian people with hearing and visual disabilities still encounter barriers that prevent them from fully accessing audiovisual content through the different media of the regional public broadcaster. In this sense, it is evident that RTPA is a usable medium, but not fully accessible, which is in line with the regulation governing accessibility in Spanish public audiovisual service.