Intelligibility vs. comprehension : understanding quality of
accessible next-generation audio broadcast

Shirley, BG; Ward, L

Abstract

For traditional broadcasting formats, imple-mentation of accessible audio strategies for hard of hear-ing people have used a binary, intelligibility-based ap-proach. In this approach sounds are categorized eitheras speech, contributing to comprehension of content,or non-speech, which can mask the speech and reduceintelligibility. Audio accessibility solutions have there-fore focused on speech enhancement type methods, forwhich several useful standard objective measures of qual-ity exist. Recent developments in next-generation broad-cast audio formats, in particular the roll out of object-based audio, facilitate more in-depth personalisationof the audio experience based on user preferences andneeds. Recent research has demonstrated that manynon-speech sounds do not strictly behave as maskersbut can be critical for comprehension of the narrativefor some viewers. This complex relationship betweenspeech, non-speech audio and the viewer necessitate amore holistic approach to understanding quality of ex-perience of accessible media. This paper reviews pre-vious work and outlines such an approach, discussingaccessibility strategies using next-generation audio for-mats and their implications for developing effective as-sessments of quality.

Citation

accessible next-generation audio broadcast. Universal Access in the Information Society, 20(4), 691-699. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10209-020-00741-8

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Apr 6, 2019
• Online Publication Date: Jul 15, 2020
• Publication Date: Nov 1, 2021
• Deposit Date: Jul 5, 2019
• Publicly Available Date: Aug 5, 2020
• Journal: Universal Access in the Information Society
• Print ISSN: 1615-5289
• Electronic ISSN: 1615-5297
• Publisher: Springer Verlag
• Volume: 20
• Issue: 4
• Pages: 691-699
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10209-020-00741-8
• Publisher URL: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10209-020-00741-8
• Related Public URLs: https://link.springer.com/journal/10209