I appreciate your comments on this important issue. The UK is a world leader in the TV access services both in extent and in quality. This includes subtitles, audio description and signing and I am encouraged that UK broadcasters and content providers are committed to meeting the needs of disabled people and want to ensure that this remains the case in the future.
The Government is working with the Authority for Television on Demand Digital (ATVOD), Digital Television Group (DTG) and others to monitor the quality and the amount of subtitles and audio description delivered online via Catch up and On Demand services. As you may know, ATVOD published their report Provision of Video on Demand Access Services - 2014 Report - last year which looked at the level of provision by On Demand Programme Service providers of subtitling, audio description, signing and other services for people with disabilities relating to sight, hearing or both.
The findings of this report show that there is good progress being made, especially on websites such as 4oD, and the development of accessible services on apps such as Demand 5 and the STV Player. However, ATVOD also said barriers remain and conversations need to take place between content providers and platform operators to overcome these barriers.
The Government remains committed to seeing an improvement in the provision of accessible services for video-on-demand and will continue to monitor progress being made. I know that discussions are on-going with key organisations to explore the recommendations in the Defining Progress for Access Services on Video on Demand paper (April 2015), and the Government has been clear if these discussions and 2015 survey show that significant progress has not been made, then as stated it will consider legislation in 2016.