Casualty Accessible and Enhanced (A&E) Audio is the first public trial of accessible audio technology using a narrative importance approach. This trial allows viewers to personalize the audio of an episode of the BBC’s "Casualty" drama series based on their hearing needs. Using a simple interface the audio can be varied between the broadcast mix and an accessible mix containing narratively important non-speech sounds, enhanced dialogue, and attenuated background sounds. This paper describes the trial’s development, implementation, and it’s evaluation by normal and hard of hearing listeners (n=5209 on 20/8/2019). 299 participants also completed a survey, rating the technology 3.6/5 stars. 73% reported the technology made the content more enjoyable or easier to understand.

Authors: Ward, Lauren; Paradis, Matthew; Shirley, Ben; Russon, Laura; Moore, Robin; Davies, Rhys
Affiliations: University of Salford, Salford, UK; BBC R&D, Salford, UK; BBC Research and Development, London, UK; BBC Studios, Cardiff, Wales, UK(See document for exact affiliation information.)
AES Convention: 147 (October 2019) eBrief:563
Publication Date: October 8, 2019
Subject: Applications in Audio

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