President signs bill allowing TV channels to air news with sign language
President signs bill allowing TV channels to air news with sign language. The Access to the Media Deaf (Persons) Act, 2022, has been approved by President Dr Arif Alvi, and it will mandate all privately and publicly owned broadcasters to carry newscasts with sign language interpreters in order to secure special person’s access to the media.
“The Act provides that after six months of the commencement of the Act, the Government shall not allow to broadcast any news bulletin on the national broadcaster, state or private run electronic media, private television channels, Cable TV or any other broadcast media without Pakistan sign language interpreters,” said a statement issued by the President Office on Friday.
Without Pakistan sign language interpreters, no programme, entertainment, advertisement, talk show, drama, film, or other pictorial segments may be broadcast on the national broadcaster, media, private television channels, cable TV, or any other broadcast medium after one year from the Act’s start date.
The Act required sign language interpreters to be appointed by the government and private media outlets within six months.
“The Act shall come into force at once and shall extend to the whole of Pakistan.” In June this year, the Senate standing committee on information and broadcasting unanimously approved the bill titled “The Access of Media (Deaf) Persons Bill, 2022”.
Saleem Mandviwalla of the PPP, who moved the bill, briefed the committee’s senator Faisal Javed in great detail.
He emphasised the growing feeling of exclusion among the unique individuals who were unable to watch plays and hear the news on television channels.
The senator also asked the information ministry and Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) for assistance in putting the measure into effect after it received clearance from the appropriate bodies.
