Astro launches inclusive campaign, improves streaming for the visually impaired

Astro is centering the visually impaired in its latest campaign following the launch of drama Dari mata turun ke hati ('From the eyes down to the heart'). The show Dari mata turun ke hati tells a story of Iris Sofea, a visually impaired young woman and Jai, a gangster, portrayed respectively by up and coming Malaysian stars in Arabella Ellen and Mierul Aiman. 

The campaign, created in collaboration with Talon Creative, featured an enhanced streaming experience with its first locally produced audio description track for a Malay drama. The track provides verbal descriptors of the show, interwoven with the dialogue, allowing visually impaired viewers to experience the narrative of the show and fully immerse themselves in the content. 

“As Malaysia’s leading media company, we believe that everyone deserves an opportunity to enjoy the magic of storytelling. Leaning into our technological expertise, we wanted to make our content more inclusive and accessible to all viewers, especially those with visual impairments. That's why we're excited to produce 480 minutes of the Audio Description track for Dari Mata Turun Ke Hati to enhance the viewing experience for our audience, thus contributing to a more equitable and inclusive entertainment industry," said Tai Kam Leong, chief sales and marketing officer, Astro. 

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In addition, social media posts that mimicked the visually impaired Iris Sofea's experience were created as part of the campaign. This gave the audience a glimpse into her world, bringing the visually impaired community and general public closer together.

“Working on this campaign for this show gave us insight into a point of view we never considered. How do the visually impaired experience life? How do they consume content and media? It wasn’t just about highlighting their plight; it was a real opportunity to give society a look into a completely different paradigm of life," said Erman Basiron, creative director, Talon Creative. 

The campaign gained more than 30 million impressions and 110 million views on TikTok. The drama was also the number one drama in its final week on sooka satellite TV and ranked in the top 10 on Astro Go/On Demand. 

This campaign comes after Astro's collaboration with the Malaysian association for the blind during the month of Merdeka. 

The initiative brought Nurin Amalin Binte Ishak, a para-athlete who has been blind since she was 10 years old, to feel the braille of the Malaysia flag. This enabled her to experience the flow of the flag, its story, colours and elements. Most importantly, the campaign aimed to give hope to the blind that they too can experience the full spirit of what a Merdeka celebration is. 

Similarly, earlier in April this year, audio brand JBL released JBL Quantum Guide Play, a software that aimed to make first-person shooter games (FPS) more inclusive for the visually impaired.

The software leveraged JBL's audio technology and is part of parent company HARMAN's commitment to bringing diverse individuals and ideas together. It also supported visually impaired players within the gaming community by offering access to gaming experiences. 

In addition, the software leverages advanced AI and machine learning algorithms to transform in-game objects and structures into auditory cues. This enables visually impaired players to perceive their virtual environment through sound, according to the statement.  

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