Accessibility and video on-demand streaming services
Disabled viewers are being left behind by the video on-demand streaming revolution.
Inclusive League Table
Our Inclusive League Table compares the most popular UK video streaming services and the services they provide for their disabled customers. We looked at both the web accessibility standards of each streaming service and the percentage of accessible content available.
Each streaming service has been awarded a score out of 10 to reflect how inclusive their services are of disabled customers.
What we rank on
League table
| Brand | Score | Where they do well | Needs improvement |
|---|---|---|---|
| BrandDisney+ | Score7.5 | Where they do well | Where they need improvement Good scores on all categories. |
| BrandBBC iPlayer | Score7.0 | Where they do well | Where they need improvement |
| BrandITV Hub | Score6.8 | Where they do well | Where they need improvement Good scores on all categories. |
| BrandAll 4 | Score6.6 | Where they do well | Where they need improvement Good scores on all categories. |
| BrandAmazon Prime Video | Score5.9 | Where they do well | Where they need improvement |
| BrandNetflix | Score5.8 | Where they do well | Where they need improvement |
| BrandBritBox | Score4.7 | Where they do well | Where they need improvement |
| BrandSkyGo | Score2.6 | Where they do well | Where they need improvement |
| BrandMy5 | Score2.4 | Where they do well Needs improvement on all categories. | Where they need improvement |
| BrandNOW TV | Score2.4 | Where they do well Needs improvement on all categories. | Where they need improvement |
| BrandGoogle Play | Score2.0 | Where they do well Needs improvement on all categories. | Where they need improvement |
| BrandSky Store | Score0.0 | Where they do well Needs improvement on all categories. | Where they need improvement |
Summary
Disabled viewers are being left behind by the video on-demand streaming revolution.
More people watch their favourite shows online than ever before. But many streaming services are still behind when it comes to making services and shows accessible for disabled people.
Our online survey of more than 3,000 disabled consumers suggests that disabled people are still being massively underserved by these services.
80% of survey respondents said they experienced accessibility issues with online streaming. That’s four in five disabled people experiencing accessibility issues with video on-demand services.
Missing out on the latest TV series or film is about more than just missing out on the content. It’s about being excluded from the wider conversation.
While there’s no current legal requirement for video on-demand (including catch-up) services to provide access services or stick to web accessibility standards, we think they should be doing better.
We wanted to learn about the accessibility issues that prevent people from enjoying online video streaming. We also wanted to hear about the emotional impact of missing out, and how that affects spending decisions.
Hear what disabled people are saying about online video streaming in our roundup of Scope for Business video streaming survey.
Campaign update August 2020
Since our campaign launched, six out of the 12 streaming services in our inclusive league table have made accessibility fixes to their website or app. Including BBC iPlayer, Amazon Prime Video, Britbox, ITV Hub, NOW TV and Disney Plus.
We’ve been approached by Ofcom to discuss new regulations for video on-demand services. We’re keen to make sure disabled people’s voices are at the heart of this process and will update this page with our progress.
20% of disabled people have cancelled a streaming service subscription because of accessibility issues.
Often with paid subscription services, companies do not disclose how much of their content is subtitled or audio-described.
For people with access requirements, there’s no way of knowing how many TV programmes or films they will actually be able to enjoy before they sign up and pay.
And when less accessible content is available, it means disabled people end up paying more for a worse service. For example, people who rely on audio description are still required to pay 100% of the subscription fee, even if just 8% of the content is accessible to them.
Have you ever cancelled a subscription, or stopped using a video streaming service, because of accessibility issues?
When this happens, I don’t feel motivated to look for other content. Instead I use a different streaming provider who can accommodate my needs. Especially if I’m paying to use that streaming service!
66% of users feel either frustrated, let down, excluded or upset by inaccessible entertainment.
To examine the emotional cost of being excluded from the on-demand video streaming revolution, we asked survey respondents how it makes them feel when a TV programme or film is not accessible to them.*
* Respondents could select multiple answers.
How does it make you feel when a TV programme or film is not accessible to you?
The lack of subtitling is shocking on streaming TV services. There’s absolutely no excuse for dropping subtitles. As a young mother with hearing difficulties, I find it extremely hard to catch up on my favourite programmes.
Issues range from inaccessible content to inaccessible technology and design. TV shows and films can be inaccessible for a number of reasons, through lack of access services like captions, for example.
But content can also be inaccessible if it contains flashing lights or triggering imagery.
Which accessibility issues have you experienced with on-demand streaming services?
“My whole family miss out because of me.”
What are some of the issues within accessibility and video on-demand streaming services we hear again and again?
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No captions available
Short Answer
Ofcom consulted on what the regulations for on-demand content should look like and made recommendations to the government proposing that 80% of content should be subtitled. Scope would encourage organisations who want to fully meet the requirements of the 11 million people affected by hearing loss in the UK to go further. Disney Plus, for example, have captioned 98% of their titles.
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Bad navigation
Short Answer
When asked about the issues people had with streaming platforms, bad navigation was the third top reported issue. Try navigating your page just using the 'tab' key (many disabled people will use this method), do you get trapped? Does it take ages to get to where you want to be? Scope would recommend keeping pages simple to not overwhelm the user with choice. Categories options in a logical way and as much as you can, observe users using your product so you can see where the issues are.
Relevant articles on the Resource Hub
5 things to think about when designing for inclusivity 6 quick tools to test website accessibility Designing for disability: quick do’s and don’ts -
Lack of transparency
Short Answer
For someone navigating your website, it would make life a lot easier for them if they could see where they will face barriers before it happens instead of after wasting lots of time trying. Scope are asking that every streaming platform is transparent about the amount of their content that is accessible before someone has to sign in, or spend time searching. Easy to find categories which show a list of subtitled and audio described content are highly recommended.
Get support from Scope's experts
Scope are improving the internet for people with access requirements, and we know that it can be hard to know where to start. That’s why as part of Scope business services, our experts can support you to make your customer offer, and your workplace, accessible.
Services we offer:
- An audit of your digital products
- Training on accessibility
- Access to our panel of disabled testers
- Expert support in making your workplace inclusive
If you’d like to find out more, then please email partnerships@scope.org.uk with your contact details.