MIFF 2024, Toonz Media Group, and BIRD Promote Media Accessibility for Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and Visually Impaired with Innovative Initiatives

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], June 21: The Mumbai International Film Festival (MIFF), 2024 is showcasing accessible audio-visual media for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) and the visually impaired. Several animated shorts are being shown with accessibility features like Same Language Subtitles (SLS), Indian Sign Language (ISL) and Audio Description (AD).

However, it would be a mistake to think that accessibility is confined to the hearing and visually impaired. PlanetRead’s Billion Readers (BIRD) initiative associated with IIT-Delhi and Toonz Media, one of India’s leading animation company based in Trivandrum have partnered to make the case that SLS on cartoons that children watch passionately across India, has the power to improve children’s reading skills at scale.

“Children’s brains are extremely adept at matching sound and text in the ‘same’ language, said Brij Kothari, Adjunct Professor at IIT-Delhi’s School of Public Policy who leads BIRD. “SLS on cartoons they watch anyway will give them automatic reading practice. There is strong evidence that their reading and language ability cannot but improve as a result.”

At MIFF, the animation show ‘Jay Jagannath’ created by ELE Animations and Toonz and running on Pogo TV is being showcased with SLS and AD in support of media accessibility, literacy, and Indian language promotion for all viewers.

Under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, 2016 and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB)’s Accessibility Standards for TV, 2019, media accessibility is stipulated on half of all entertainment content on TV by 2025.

Toonz CEO, P. Jayakumar said, “This is not just about compliance. We see in SLS the potential to leverage our large library of quality animation for children’s wholesome entertainment and education in all Indian languages.”

The 200 million children in India’s primary schools who watch cartoons with a passion in their language(s) may soon be able to find their reading skills improving without even realizing it.

About Toonz Media Group 

Toonz is a 360-degree media powerhouse with over two decades of unparalleled experience and one of the world’s most active animation production studios (over 10,000 minutes of 2D and CGI kids and family content per year). Toonz has to its credit several animations and live-action series, as well as feature films including Wolverine and the X-Men with Marvel, Speed Racer: The Next Generation with Lionsgate, Mostly Ghostly with Universal, Gummy Bear and Friends, and more. Toonz has also ventured into emerging technologies like AR, VR, and Gaming.

 www.toonz.co

About Billion Readers (BIRD)

The Billion Readers (BIRD) initiative led by PlanetRead and associated with IIT-Delhi aims to ensure daily and lifelong reading practice for a billion people in India. This goal is being achieved by adding Same Language Subtitling (SLS) on mainstream entertainment content on television, films and streaming platforms to serve one vision: Every Indian, a fluent reader. 

SLS is the idea of subtitles audio-visual (AV) content in the ‘same’ language as the audio. With SLS, viewers get to read what they see and hear on the screen on all popularly watched entertainment. BIRD is a systems change initiative supported by Co-Impact, aiming to integrate SLS into all entertainment video content, in all Indian languages, for literacy, language learning and media access.

www.billionreaders.org 

Contact: Mr. Parthibhan Amudhan parthibhan@planetread.org

Tags: MIFF 2024,Mumbai International Film Festival,Media Accessibility,Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH),Visually Impaired Audiences,Toonz Media Group,Billion Readers (BIRD),Same Language Subtitles (SLS),Indian Sign Language (ISL),Audio Description (AD),Animated Shorts,Children’s Reading Skills,PlanetRead,IIT-Delhi,Brij Kothari,Jay Jagannath Animation,ELE Animations,Pogo TV,RPwD Act 2016,MIB Accessibility Standards 2019,Children’s Entertainment,Indian Language Promotion,Literacy Enhancement,Toonz CEO P. Jayakumar,AR VR Gaming,Gummy Bear and Friends,Media Innovation,Inclusive Media,Reading Practice,Subtitled Cartoons,Media Accessibility Standards,Literacy Improvement,Entertainment Education,PlanetRead Partnership.

If you have any objection to this press release content, kindly contact pr.error.rectification@gmail.com to notify us. We will respond and rectify the situation in the next 24 hours.

Entertainment

Main Aisa Kyun Hoon:The Astrology Series You Didn’t Know You Needed

New Delhi [India], February 18: Astrology isn’t just for your parents or grandparents anymore. Astro Arun Pandit is bringing the stars into the present with his brand-new OTT series, “Main Aisa Kyun Hoon?”, now streaming on JioHotstar. If you thought astrology was boring, outdated, or just something for the old school, think again. This show is perfect for Gen Z – […]

Read More
Entertainment

Kartik Aaryan, Chandu Champion, and Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 Win Top Honours at Iconic Gold Awards 2025

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], February 14: The 6th edition of the MeghaShrey Presents Iconic Gold Awards in Association with Gujarat Tourism celebrated the finest talents in Indian cinema, television, and music in a night filled with glamour, prestige, and entertainment. Heartthrob Kartik Aaryan emerged as one of the biggest winners, along with his two blockbuster films, […]

Read More
Entertainment

VNF Films Presents ‘1857 Diary- The Hidden Pages’: A Riveting Tale of India’s Revolutionary History

New Delhi [India], February 13:  VNF Films, in association with filmmaker Umesh Bhardwaj, proudly presents 1857 Diary- The Hidden Pages, a gripping historical drama that brings to life the untold stories of India’s first war of independence. Directed and written by Umesh Bhardwaj, this cinematic masterpiece delves deep into the forgotten pages of history, shedding light […]

Read More