Are your concerts compliant with the equalities Act 2010?

Symphotech in collaboration with our media partners are able to provide two cost effective solutions to provide signing for the deaf and hearing impaired. We can supply assistive technologies for the deaf to allow your concert to comply with disability access legislation.

We have to make a few assumptions, these are that the deaf customer has a clear view of the Imag screens and secondly that there is advance knowledge of the requirement to the Artist to ensure their production cooperate with the provision of the technology. A copy of a set-list and lyric sheets is provided wherever possible.

Method 1: Autocue and live text (Figure 1)

By way of an Autocue operator and a downstream keyer it is possible to overlay live text onto the Imag screens for the song lyrics and also live type direct to screens this is a method used in many Newsrooms and skilled operators are available to 'pace' the text in real time and type any extra messages or the "Hello Gloucester" type stage shouts. It would of course be very helpful to have both a set list and the lyrics as a text file in advance of the show minimising the amount of live typing. The autocue operator would require a small area in hospitality or production office where they can be provided with a laptop with the autocue software, headphones and live monitor, technically it is a fairly low overhead. However it does not provide the live interaction which is important so that the live experience is provided.

Method 2: Live Signing (Figure 2)

The second method involves the use of a live signing presenter; after consulting with contacts within the disabled support community it is apparent that for most people with no or partial hearing this is the preferred method. Equally it is probably less artistically intrusive than a constant stream of text in picture. Technically to do this right is maybe a little more challenging but not onerous. The signer would need a small area in production or indeed a pop up next to the video truck, within this area would be a monitor to relay the live show and a fixed mini camera with some LED lighting. Ideally a portable green screen background would be used, so that the presenter can be 'floated' over the live show and placed into the corner of the live screen feed. This is the method most major broadcasters use for 'on-air' signed production, it allows the presenter to be seated and have cheat sheets and lyrics etc. provided out of shot.

Figure 1

Method 1: Autocue and live text

Figure 2

Method 2: Live Signing (Figure 2)