Deaf Association Slams YLE’s Presidential Gala Coverage
The Finnish Association for the Deaf has charged that the lack of subtitles in television coverage excluded many from a national celebration.
Image: Jyrki Lyytikkä / YLE
The Finnish Association of the Deaf (FAD) had harsh words for the Finnish Broadcasting Company YLE for its failure to provide Finnish subtitles during its television coverage of the President’s Independence Day Gala.
The Association said that the oversight effectively excluded a significant portion of the population from the national commemoration. The organization has dispatched a written complaint about the matter to Olii-Pekka Heinonen, YLE’s Director of Television.
FAD pointed out that YLE is legally obligated to ensure that its public service broadcasts are accessible to all by including services such as subtitles.
The Federation of the Hard of Hearing FFHOH chimed in, noting that there are an estimated 740,000 severely hearing-impaired people in Finland, who would benefit from subtitled television programmes. That number is expected to increase as the population continues to age.
YLE