At its heart, broadcasting is about connection. It is about telling stories that help us understand each other, reflect on our own lives, and feel part of something bigger than ourselves. But a story that cannot be watched, heard, or understood is a story that stops at the door. That is why accessibility is not a side project, not a compliance checkbox, and not a nice-to-have for CBC. It is a fundamental priority. We believe that every person in Canada, regardless of their physical, sensory, or cognitive abilities, deserves the same opportunity to experience the programs, services, and stories that shape our national identity. This includes people who are blind or have low vision, people who are deaf or hard of hearing, people with mobility limitations, and people with cognitive or learning differences. It also includes people whose access needs may change over time—an older adult with fatigue, a student with a concussion, a parent with a broken arm, a new immigrant trying to follow along with unfamiliar accents, or a person living with chronic pain. According to the Canadian Survey on Disability, more than six million Canadians live with a disability, which means roughly one in five people in this country face some kind of barrier when using media. And that number does not count the many others who, without calling themselves disabled, still benefit from more flexible design. Accessibility is not a niche concern. It is a universal one. When we design our materials and technologies with accessibility in mind, we make them better for everyone. We create products that are more flexible, more intuitive, and more welcoming. We also build trust. Canadians need to know that when they open CBC Gem or visit our website, they will not be locked out because of a disability. They need to know that their stories matter enough for us to invest in the details. And they need to know that we are not simply complying with rules—we are embracing a culture of inclusion. That culture is built one program at a time, one feature at a time, and one conversation with a viewer at a time.
Consider what it means to watch television without seeing it. For many people who are blind or live with low vision, the dialogue on a show is only one part of the experience. The characters’ expressions, the setting, the action, the silence before a surprising moment—all of that visual information is hidden. Described video, sometimes called video description or audio description, fills that gap. It is a separate narration track that turns key visual elements into words, so that a viewer can follow the story just as fully as someone who sees the screen. A narrator might say, “She looks at the letter and smiles, hesitates, then puts it in the drawer,” or “The puck slides past the goalie and into the net, and the crowd erupts.” These short, carefully timed descriptions can make the difference between confusion and understanding. They can also make the difference between isolation and belonging. CBC offers described video for many programs on CBC Gem, our streaming service. This is no small thing. For someone who has spent years relying on friends or family members to explain what happened on screen, having an independent way to enjoy a show is deeply meaningful. It is an invitation to participate in the same cultural conversations, to laugh at the same jokes, and to cry at the same dramatic moments. It is also a recognition that visual impairment should not mean cultural isolation. We know that described video is not available for every title yet—that takes time, funding, and collaboration with producers and broadcasters. But the commitment is clear. We want to grow the catalogue. We want to improve the quality. We want to make sure that the descriptions are not merely informative, but also respectful and human—they should never talk down to the viewer or strip away the emotional nuance of a scene. Because belonging means not just being present, but truly having access to the experience.
On the other side of inclusivity is sound. Closed captioning is perhaps the most familiar accessibility feature, but it is often misunderstood as simply “subtitles for people who can’t hear.” In reality, captions are a lifeline for a wide range of viewers. They enable people who are Deaf or hard of hearing to follow dialogue, but they also help people watching in a crowded room, people learning English or French, people with auditory processing disorders, and people who simply prefer to watch with the sound off. What matters is quality. Captions are not just words thrown onto the screen; they need to convey tone, speaker identification, sound effects, music, and even silence when silence carries meaning. A good captioner knows how to edit without losing meaning, how to keep pace with fast dialogue, and how to respect the emotional texture of a scene. For example, captions like “[whispers]” or “[phone rings in the distance]” can transform a viewing experience from confusing to immersive. At CBC, we are committed to delivering accurate, synchronized, and readable captions for our programming, including on CBC Gem. But captions are not merely a technical feature. They are a promise. They say to someone with hearing loss: we want you to understand every joke, every twist, every tender line. We want you to be part of the audience. We also recognize that hearing is not a single state. Some people are born Deaf and use sign language; others lose hearing gradually; some have tinnitus or sensitivity to sudden loud sounds; some are blind and deaf at the same time. There is no one-size-fits-all solution. That is why accessibility must be approached with humility and flexibility, and why feedback from users is so important. When we caption a program, we do it not just to meet a standard, but to open a door. And when that door sticks—when a caption is late, missing, or poorly formatted—we need to hear about it so we can fix it quickly and make sure it does not happen again.
Less visible, but equally important, are the needs of people with motor and cognitive challenges. Motor challenges can make it difficult to use a mouse, tap small buttons, type quickly, or follow precise motions on a touchscreen. Cognitive challenges can affect memory, attention, reading comprehension, coordination, or problem-solving. For these viewers, accessibility is about design and usability. It is about making sure that on CBC Gem, our website, and our apps, buttons are large enough to hit, menus are easy to navigate, and the interface does not change unpredictably. It is about giving users enough time to respond before a session times out, and providing clear, simple instructions in plain language. It is also about reducing unnecessary obstacles. A person with Parkinson’s disease might struggle with a tiny clickable area. A person with dyslexia might benefit from text that can be resized or from a layout that does not crowd words together. A person with anxiety might need to avoid flashing images that could cause disorientation. A person with a traumatic brain injury might need to pause a show easily and resume exactly where they left off. A person with attention deficit disorder might need an interface that does not overwhelm them with too many options at once. These might sound like small details, but for the people who need them, they are the difference between independence and frustration. At CBC, we try to think about accessibility from the very first spark of a design idea, not as an afterthought. We ask ourselves: can this be used with a keyboard alone? Can this be understood without relying solely on colour? Can the user control the pace? Can we provide multiple ways to complete the same action? By asking these questions, we make our products more flexible for everyone. We also know that our work is never done. Technology changes. Needs change. The best we can do is keep listening, keep learning, and keep improving—and never pretend that a single launch date means we are finished.
CBC Gem is one of the main ways Canadians stream our shows, and it is where accessibility features become practical, tangible, and essential. On Gem, users can find many programs with both closed captioning and described video. Imagine sitting down to watch a popular drama. With closed captions, you can read the dialogue even when the characters whisper. With described video, you can hear the action even if you cannot see it. These two features work together to ensure that the same story is available to a deaf viewer, a blind viewer, and a viewer with no disability at all. This is at the core of inclusive public broadcasting. We are not providing a separate, lesser experience. We are providing the same experience through different modes. Of course, making a feature available is only the beginning. It must be easy to find. It must be labelled clearly. It must work reliably across phones, tablets, computers, smart TVs, and set-top boxes. It must respond to voice commands and assistive technologies. And if something breaks, there must be a way to report it. That is why CBC has created an accessibility feedback process. When a viewer encounters a barrier—a glitch with captions, a missing description track, an impossible button, an unintuitive menu—we need to know. Feedback is not a formality; it is a crucial source of information. It helps us identify what we missed, what we underestimated, and what we can do better. It also reminds us that accessibility is not a static checklist that we complete and then forget. It is a living commitment, made day by day, feature by feature, viewer by viewer. Every piece of feedback is a chance to improve. Every suggestion is a step toward a more accessible Canada. And we are especially grateful to the people who take the time to tell us what is working and what is not, because they are not just helping themselves—they are helping every future viewer who will benefit from the improvements.
Ultimately, CBC’s accessibility work is rooted in a simple belief: that everyone in Canada has the right to be part of the national conversation. That means being able to watch a comedy and hear the punchline, to follow a documentary and understand its argument, to share a new series with friends and know exactly what everyone is talking about. It also means that accessibility should never be an afterthought. It should be a natural, detailed, and compassionate part of how we create and deliver our content. We invite Canadians to learn more about our efforts through the “About CBC Accessibility” section, where you can find information about our current features, our goals, and the principles that guide our work. We also invite you to reach out through the accessibility feedback channel. Whether you are a viewer who depends on captions, a parent advocating for described video, a teacher using our content in class, or a designer who wants to help us improve, your voice matters. We are not perfect. We have made mistakes, and we will make them again. But we are committed to listening. We are committed to treating accessibility as a continuous journey, not a destination. We are committed to the principle of “nothing about us without us”—meaning that people with disabilities should be included in the conversations and decisions that shape accessible media. And we are honoured by the trust that Canadians place in us when they allow us into their homes. In a country as large and diverse as Canada, public broadcasting has a special responsibility. It can bridge distances, build communities, and help us see each other more clearly. But that is only possible if no one is left at the door. By building accessible products, we are not just ticking boxes. We are saying that every story is for everyone. We are saying that people with visual, hearing, motor, and cognitive challenges are not afterthoughts—they are essential members of the audience. And we are inviting all of you, in all your diversity of ability, to come in, settle down, and enjoy the experience. That invitation lies at the heart of everything we do.