Vanessa Vidad, Inclusion Co-lead at ISBA, praised ITV’s efforts: “It’s great to see ITV giving time and space to raising awareness of access features that support those with a sight and/or hearing impairment. The number of brands being able to participate shows that great strides are being made to make ads accessible for all. But there is still a huge amount of work to be done, which is what the UK Accessible Advertising Taskforce and Advertising Accessibility Alliance seek to address.”

ITV’s initiative was part of a broader effort of the accessible advertising taskforce lead by ISBA in the UK, which includes various TV partners, brands, and service providers. This group is dedicated to making TV advertising accessible for all audiences by increasing awareness and capabilities around subtitles, audio description, and BSL.

Chris Goldson, ITV’s Director of Commercial Marketing, emphasized the importance of this collaborative effort: “It’s fantastic that so many great brands are supporting these two special ad breaks to mark Global Accessibility Awareness Day. It’s crucial that brand owners and media platforms take steps to make advertising accessible to everyone, and the work we’re doing here, and with ISBA, will hopefully encourage more partners to begin their own accessible journey.”

By integrating subtitles, BSL signing, and audio descriptions, ITV has set a new standard for accessible advertising. This initiative not only raised awareness but also demonstrated the practical steps that can be taken to make media inclusive for all audiences. As ITV continues to pioneer in this area, it will likely inspire more brands and broadcasters to prioritise accessibility in their content and advertising strategies.