In 2019, the Parliament of Lithuania adopted amendments to Article 5 of the Law on Lithuanian National Radio and Television, which set out quantitative requirements for the National Radio and Television to adapt its television programmes for people with hearing and visual disabilities:
1. at least 50 percent of the total monthly broadcasting time must include television programs with Lithuanian subtitles;
2. at least 20 percent of total monthly broadcasting time must include television programs translated into sign language;
3. at least 10 percent of total monthly broadcasting time must include television programs adapted for people with visual impairments.
These amendments entered into force on 1 January 2020. Prior to the entry into force of these amendments, the national broadcaster was under no obligation to adapt programmes for the hearing and visually impaired people and was doing that based on its financial capabilities.
The amendments must be implemented gradually each year until the requirements set out in Article 5 are achieved. The National Radio and Television has the following obligations:
- to increase the broadcasting time of television programmes with Lithuanian subtitles every year by 5 percent;
- to increase the broadcasting time of television programmes translated into sign language every year by 1 percent;
- to increase the broadcasting time of television programmes adapted for people with visual impairment every year by 1 percent.
There is no dedicated budget for this measure.