NBCU Enhances Accessibility Features for Paris 2024 Paralympic Games Coverage

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(Image credit: NBC)

STAMFORD, Conn.—NBCUniversal has announced that it’s coverage of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games will be accessible to more viewers of all abilities than ever before with enhanced closed captioning, expanded audio description, and improved digital content accessibility.

Closed captioning, which provides text of the coverage audio for viewers who are deaf or hard of hearing, will be available for all Paralympic events airing across NBC and USA Network, as well as closed captioning for all digital live streams with commentary across Peacock, NBCParalympics.com, NBC.com, and the NBC Sports app.

In addition, more audio description services – interspersing broadcast audio with skilled voices describing Paralympic scenes and context – will be available for viewers who are blind or visually impaired for Paris 2024 than for any previous Paralympics. All coverage on NBC, USA Network, CNBC, and the Gold Zone whip-around show on Peacock, will feature audio description provided by Descriptive Video Works, NBCU reported. 

The coverage will also feature improved web content accessibility, including keyboard navigation, color contrast and support for screen readers on NBCParalympics.com, NBC.com, the NBC Sports app, and Peacock. Livestreams and replays which offer audio description will have English audio description as a language choice within the players on these digital platforms. 

To easily find all events with audio description, click here.

“For over a decade, Comcast NBCUniversal has been working to address barriers to make our experiences more inclusive,” said Tom Wlodkowski, vice president, accessibility at Comcast. “As a consumer of Paralympics programming with audio description, I’m looking forward to fully participating in the joy that the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games will bring.”

All of this audio description and closed captioning will be available to Comcast Xfinity customers who experience the Games on the Xfinity X1 platform, including on Xfinity Stream and on Xfinity Flex.

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George Winslow

George Winslow is the senior content producer for TV Tech. He has written about the television, media and technology industries for nearly 30 years for such publications as Broadcasting & Cable, Multichannel News and TV Tech. Over the years, he has edited a number of magazines, including Multichannel News International and World Screen, and moderated panels at such major industry events as NAB and MIP TV. He has published two books and dozens of encyclopedia articles on such subjects as the media, New York City history and economics.