An event was held on the topic "Equality in Audiovisual Media and Access to Information”

On June 17, 2025 an event titled "Equality in Audiovisual Media and Access to Information" organized by the Audiovisual Council of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

The event was attended by representatives of the Agency for Sustainable and Operative Social Provision (DOST Agency) under the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of Population, the Department for Children Protection of the Ministry of Science and Education, television broadcasters operating in the territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan, as well as representatives of non-governmental organizations.

The main purpose of the event was to discuss the amendments to the Law of the Republic of Azerbaijan "On the Rights of Persons with Disabilities" dated April 11, 2025 and the requirements of Article 12-1 added to the Law, the current status of the application of sign language on television programs, challenges and ways to solve them.

In his opening speech, Head of the Office of the Audiovisual Council Fazil Novruzov, spoke about the responsibilities of audiovisual media in building an inclusive society, creating equal opportunities for all, and making the information accessible to everyone. He noted that in the modern time information is an integral part of human life. Equal access to information is necessary for successful participation in the fields of education, health, employment, law and social activities. Receiving information is a fundamental right of every one. Ensuring this right is not just a technical issue, but also a fundamental condition for human dignity, equal opportunities, and building an inclusive society.

Then, Aygun Musayeva, Deputy Chair of the Board of DOST Agency, emphasized the importance of meetings and events held on this topic during her speech. She also spoke about the state policy regarding persons with disabilities, the work done to integrate these persons into society, the monitoring conducted to ensure accessibility to information and the results of these monitoring.

Next, Habib Karimov, Deputy Head of the Department for Children Protection of the Ministry of Science and Education, stated in his speech that work has been done to involve people with total or partial vision, hearing and speech disabilities in education, that coordinated activities have been carried out with relevant state agencies to continue their education and improve their skills in the fields of sports, culture and creativity, and that this cooperation is being developed every year. He also noted that they are always ready to cooperate with media entities and other interested parties to integrate people with disabilities into society.

Then, Aykhan Sadigli, chief adviser of the Department of the Law and International Cooperation of the Audiovisual Council, delivered a comprehensive presentation on the topic "Equality in Audiovisual Media and Access to Information". He provided detailed information regarding legislative acts in this field, international experience, the responsibility of state and public broadcasters operating in the country, and the legal regulatory mechanisms.

After the speeches and presentations, the event continued with interactive discussions. Detailed discussions were held and suggestions were made on the application of sign language by the audiovisual broadcasters, the obligations of broadcasters, the work done in this direction, the problems that arose during the implementation of the process, and other issues.