Accessibility Statement
The Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) is committed to providing an inclusive streaming experience across its platforms, and increasing accessibility for people with a range of abilities.
The following table summarises the accessibility features currently available across our platforms:
| SBS On Demand Website | SBS On Demand Mobile Apps | SBS Live TV | |
| Closed captions | |||
| Subtitles | |||
| Audio description |
We adhere to W3C’s Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 and our services are continually evolving to reflect the latest standards of best practice.
Device support across platforms
The SBS On Demand website supports a range of accessibility features including screen readers and voice recognition software.
The SBS On Demand website supports a range of accessibility features including screen readers and voice recognition software.
The SBS On Demand mobile applications meet basic Apple and Android accessibility guidelines. Review the information for further assistance:
| Platforms | What |
| Apple Accessibility | Information about Apple's built-in accessibility tools on their products, services, and platforms |
| Google Accessibility | Information and resources to help audiences use Google’s accessible products, services, and platforms such as the Chrome browser |
| Microsoft Accessibility | Learn about accessible features and functionalities, including those available for the Microsoft Windows operating system |
SBS On Demand website
The site's playback controls are optimised for use with assistive technologies such as NVDA, Jaws, VoiceOver and TalkBack, as well as for use with the following keyboard shortcuts.
| Keyboard shortcut | Action |
| a | Enable / disable audio and audio description tracks |
| c | Enable / disable subtitle tracks |
Service limitations
We have conducted significant work to make SBS On Demand platforms more accessible but the work continues. Not all SBS content is regulated for, or available with, subtitles/captions and audio description. SBS is continuing to develop accessibility support for mobile and TV logins.
Closed captions and subtitles
Closed captions and subtitles make video content more accessible to people who are d/Deaf or hard of hearing.
- Closed captions (CC) provide on-screen text descriptions of spoken dialogue and other sounds, including music and sound effects. Closed captions can be enabled or disabled, as opposed to open captions, which remain visible on the screen throughout the duration of the video content.
- Subtitles are the on-screen text description of spoken dialogue interpreted into another language. SBS uses Forced English subtitles to interpret dialogue spoken in other languages into English. Typically, they are displayed automatically on screen but there are exceptions depending on the app.
Audio Description
Audio description (AD) is the auditory narration of the visual elements of video content, including scene locations, character descriptions, and descriptions of actions.
AD helps people who are blind or have low vision to increase their understanding of what's happening in a video. You can turn AD on or off whenever you want.
Learn more about:
Audio Introductions
An audio introduction is an additional piece of spoken information, accompanied by images and music, that you can listen to before a show.
It's main purpose is to provide audience members who are blind or have low vision with additional details about the same before it begins, featuring longer descriptions that could not be included in the main audio description, due to a lack of space and time.
Think of it as a helpful 'preview' that describes key visual aspects, such as:
Who is who: The Names and physical descriptions of the main characters or cast.
What do things look like: Descriptions of costumes/clothing, and the visual style of the show.
Where is it happening: Descriptions of the locations where the program takes place.
In this way, the Audio Introduction provides the freedom to focus on and enjoy the content as soon as it starts, creating a more accessible and inclusive experience.
Need help or have feedback on the SBS On Demand website?
SBS wants everyone to be able to enjoy our content. Please tell us if you have any feedback, especially to suggest ways to make our content more accessible.
Find tips on what information to provide to help us understand your problem faster: Contacting Organisations about Inaccessible Websites
We appreciate constructive feedback and will consider suggestions.