There is great potential in digital radio to provide new and improved access for people with sensory disabilities to news, entertainment and emergency information. National Public Radio (NPR) and WGBH's Carl and Ruth Shapiro Family National Center for Accessible Media collaborated to research and develop prototypes that model how new digital radio capabilities can serve consumers with sensory disabilities through:
- Mainstreamed digital radio reading services;
- live video description synchronized to broadcast;
- buffering for rewind/replay/catch-up to aid comprehensibility;
- accessible controls, displays and menu options on HD Radio receivers;
- caption displays of audio on HD Radio receivers or ancillary displays.