The Delhi High Court on Monday, May 19, directed the Central Government to quickly move forward with issuing clear guidelines for adding accessibility features on Over-The-Top (OTT) platforms. These features are meant to support persons with disabilities, especially those who are visually or hearing impaired.
Justice Sachin Datta passed this order while hearing a petition filed by Akshat Baldwa, who was represented by Advocate Rahul Bajaj. The petition asked for essential accessibility features such as audio descriptions, same-language captions, and Indian Sign Language to be included in OTT content.
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“Accessibility features like audio description and Indian sign language are vital for ensuring equal access to entertainment,” the petitioner argued.
The Court was told by the counsel for the film producers that they have already added accessibility features to the movie “Vicky Vidya Ka Viral Video.” They also committed to including similar features in upcoming films like Article 370, The Buckingham Murders, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3, and Shaitan.
“We are committed to ensuring that all our upcoming films are inclusive and accessible,” said the producers' counsel.
Netflix, one of the major OTT platforms involved in the case, informed the Court that it will work closely with the film producers to make sure these features are implemented properly. The Court gave Netflix four weeks to submit its official response in this matter.
“Netflix will coordinate with producers to ensure that the required accessibility features are included,” stated Netflix’s legal representative.
Meanwhile, Justice Datta also ordered that two films — Stree 2 and Auro Main Kahaan Dam Tha — be removed from the list of parties in the case, as their producers confirmed they have already followed the Court’s direction and added the necessary accessibility features.
“Since the producers have complied with the Court's order, these films can be excluded from the case,” said Justice Datta.
The Court has scheduled the next hearing for July 17, giving more time for all parties, especially Netflix, to complete the required steps and submit their responses.
This case, titled Akshat Baldwa & Anr. v. Maddock Films & Ors., is a significant step toward making digital entertainment more inclusive and accessible to all, including persons with disabilities.
