Making advertising accessible to everyone
What if your TV campaigns finally spoke to everyone? RMB reveals, in a special podcast, the behind-the-scenes of a major innovation: advertising accessible to all audiences through subtitling and audio description. Alongside Valérie Janssens, Media, Data & Tech Director, and Maximilien Seeger, a visually impaired Paralympic athlete, this discussion explores advertisers' key role in building more inclusive communication, brand opportunities, and the experiences of consumers with disabilities.
Advertising long left out
The Belgian public service is required to make part of its TV content accessible to the visually and hearing impaired. But advertising is not subject to this obligation in our country.
The main reason? Probably a lack of awareness: the challenges faced by people with disabilities are often invisible to able-bodied people. Yet, according to WHO, nearly 12% of the population has visual or hearing impairments. A real audience that also watches TV and advertising.
Another major hurdle: technology. The broadcast streams delivering commercials on air until now did not allow proper integration of
metadata related to subtitles and audio description.
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When innovation becomes real
RMB and RTBF joined forces to enable the broadcast of a subtitled and audio-described TV ad. RMB developed the necessary tools to handle content with new audio tracks and subtitle metadata. Meanwhile, RTBF upgraded its broadcast system to support this new content.
Also, led by RMB and with help from other VIA members (the Belgian audiovisual agencies association), the D-Mat standard (TV spot delivery format used by all agencies) was updated. The D-Mat file format now uniformly supports new subtitle and audio description elements across the advertising market. A major step forward for all Belgium, designed to ease adoption of more inclusive advertising by all players.
Specifically, how is an audio-described and/or subtitled campaign implemented? For advertisers, all info is delivered in one D-Mat file. Viewers just need to activate the appropriate function on their decoder to watch the ad either subtitled or audio-described, depending on their needs.
See further, truly
Maximilien Seeger, Paralympic athlete and co-author of the book See Further (Editions Racine, August 2025), experiences television differently. As a visually impaired media consumer, he speaks with accuracy and clarity.
Audio description allows him to concretely access the brand's world, emotions, and creative intentions. Without audio description, effort is needed to decode the main message of the TV spot.
For Maximilien, brands have a key role to play. Inclusivity is not a constraint but an opportunity: to create a more authentic connection with all audiences, earn consumer trust, and especially to align with the evolution of CSR.
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When an ad is audio described, I no longer just receive a message: I access the brand's intent. I understand what they truly wanted to highlight… Subtitled and audio-described ads are essential so that people with disabilities receive information in the same way as anyone watching TV.
More Impact. More Meaning.
Inclusive advertising reaches more consumers, while also raising awareness and shifting social norms. It positions brands as positive agents of change. Performance and responsibility come together.
RMB supports this transition with its White Paper on Accessible Advertising. Goal: to guide advertisers step-by-step with light, realistic implementation in both time and budget. This approach continues our media group's sustainable commitment.