Media Accessibility

RESUMO Termos como 'acessibilidade midiática' e 'tradução audiovisual acessível' vem se tornando cada vez mais comuns tanto na área acadêmica quanto na sociedade em geral. Essa popularização deve-se ao aumento significativo da legislação nacional e internacional visando à inclusão das pessoas com deficiências em todas as esferas sociais e, em especial, no que concerne ao âmbito cultural (NAVES et al., 2016). Com essa crescente produção legal, profissional e acadêmica, o Brasil apresenta um sólido e variado portfólio sobre o assunto que não deixa a desejar mesmo quando em comparação com países desenvolvidos. Porém, devido a barreiras linguísticas, nem sempre esse conteúdo recebe o destaque e reconhecimento internacional merecido. Para tentar facilitar a divulgação desse conteúdo, a Plataforma de Acessibilidade Midiática (MAP-Media Accessibility Platform) é uma poderosa ferramenta que visa centralizar informações variadas, desde cursos de formação e notícias até publicações e legislação específica, em um único ambiente digital de livre acesso na internet (GRECO et al., 2016). Infelizmente, até o momento, pouca informação sobre a produção brasileira no assunto foi inserida na plataforma. Então, é interesse desse artigo divulgar não só a MAP em si e destacar a importância de inserir a maior quantidade de dados sobre a produção brasileira sobre tradução audiovisual e acessibilidade midiática em âmbito internacional, mas também apresentar projeto de pesquisa "MAPeando a acessibilidade audiovisual no Brasil e alimentando a plataforma global de acessibilidade midiática (MAP)" do grupo de pesquisa "Tradução Audiovisual: quebrando barreiras linguísticas e de acessibilidade" da Universidade Metodista de Piracicaba (UNIMEP) que, atualmente, dedica-se a esse propósito. Palavras-chave: tradução audiovisual; acessibilidade; produção audiovisual acessível. ABSTRACT Nowadays, terms such as 'media accessibility' and 'accessible audiovisual translation' are becoming more common both in academia and in society in general. This popularization is due to a significant increase in national and international legislation regarding inclusion of people with disabilities in all social spheres and, in particular, regarding to cultural aspects (NAVES et al., 2016). With such a remarkable increase in legal, professional and academic production, Brazil presents a solid and diverse portfolio that stands out even when compared to the production of developed nations on the same topic. However, because of language barriers, this relevant content does not enjoy the deserved recognition and praise among international researchers. In order to try to change that scenario and help promote this

Matamala, Anna (2016) "Audio description and subtitling for the deaf and hard-of-hearing". Invited talk at Workshop Audiovisual translation and access for people with disabilities. Organised by Athens Field Office- Directorate General for Translation, European Commission & Department of Foreign Languages, Translation and Interpreting, Ioanian University. Corfu (Greece), 02.12.16.

This article focuses on participatory accessibility by providing a definition, several theoretical insights and practical example By reporting on an inclusive and participatory experience carried ou with blind, partially sighted and non-blind children in the drafting, recording and using of audio description (AD) for a live opera performance, the aim is to bring into the spotlight the potential benefits of making accessibility a collective, open enterprise where end-user and creators are one. The article also advocates for the participatory turn in media accessibility research and practice.
http://jatjournal.org/index.php/jat/issue/view/2

Desde el surgimiento de las nuevas tecnologías e Internet, las personas con diversidad funcional se han enfrentado a una brecha digital que, en mayor o menor medida, llega hasta la actualidad. La asequibilidad, la accesibilidad de los productos tecnológicos y la alfabetización digital son las tres barreras que este colectivo encuentra como causantes de la brecha digital. La presente investigación se centra en la alfabetización digital y en su importancia para garantizar el acceso a la tecnología en general y a la información publicada en medios de comunicación digitales en particular.
Para impulsar esa accesibilidad universal al entorno digital, se ha creado un extenso marco normativo en Europa y en España. Esta legislación se materializa en una serie de estrategias y planes enfocados en la inclusión digital como base para el impulso de la sociedad de la información. A su vez, estas iniciativas se han plasmado en actividades llevadas a cabo por confederaciones y asociaciones de personas con discapacidad, ayuntamientos o entidades privadas. La alfabetización digital se trabaja en cursos y talleres dirigidos específicamente a personas con discapacidad.
En una época marcada por la rápida implantación de la tecnología en la vida personal, laboral y social, la exclusión digital se convierte a su vez en exclusión social. Por lo tanto, para una inclusión plena en la sociedad actual, es necesario seguir avanzando en materia de alfabetización digital para personas con diversidad funcional.

García-Prieto, V. (2016). La alfabetización digital para personas con discapacidad : un enfoque mediático. En Actas del I Congreso Internacional Comunicación y Pensamiento. Comunicracia y desarrollo social (1223-1239), Sevilla: Egregius.

In Taiwan , the ethnic media are influenced by ethnic policy and social movement. Hakka TV is a landmark of Taiwan’s multiculturalism. The mission of Hakka TV is to save and promote Hakka culture. However, how to develop cross culture communication is also an important task.

This article aims to define and discuss the concept of inclusive theatre-making, from a theoretical, methodological and practical standpoint. Moving from previous research on accessible filmmaking, participatory accessibility and accessibility as a human right, the article proposes a paradigmatic shift from the somewhat privative notion of accessibility to the more comprehensive and equalitarian concept of inclusion. Drawing from drama studies, behavioural psychology and inclusive design theory, the article offers a set of key notions to be further defined and to be applied to the analysis of instances of inclusive theatremaking across Europe and beyond.

Accessibility to museums is enhanced by various types of cultural mediation, such as audio guides, which consist of a means to make the museum visit more autonomous and simultaneously replace the traditional guided visit. Their use is integrated in the tendency for museum democratisation felt in Europe between the 60s and the 80s of the 20th century, especially accomplished with the development of educational services at museums and their opening to schools. It is also an invaluable solution for foreign visitors and particularly people with special needs, such as the blind and visually-impaired, the deaf and hard-of-hearing or those with intellectual disabilities. This paper intends to analyse audio guides on offer in Portuguese museums according to specific criteria, so as to ascertain their current practices and the potential role of audio guides as an accessibility tool.

Audio description turns the visual into verbal to make audiovisual products accessible to blind and visually impaired patrons. Since its beginnings some thirty years ago, AD has been gaining importance in the audiovisual landscape as well as in cultural venues and events. In this paper, I will examine what is at stake in this form of intersemiotic translation and how it fits in the theoretical framework of Translation Studies. I will then look at practice: how is AD done and offered. The last part of the paper will regard a crucial aspect of AD research: AD strategies and user experience.

Greco makes the case that within the human rights framework there is a serious problem regarding accessibility, what he deems the ‘Accessibility as a Human Right Divide’ Problem (AHRD Problem). The AHRD Problem highlights the divide between accessibility as a human right per se versus accessibility as an instrument for the fulfilment of human rights. Greco critically rejects the former, skilfully arguing how accessibility is indeed a proactive principle, and access a necessary requirement for achieving human rights. As a case in point, Greco closes with an example from South Africa, showing how full acknowledgement of the AHRD Problem, and the interpretation of accessibility as a means, and not an end, has the ability to transform the field of media accessibility.

This is the presentation access guide created for the 2021 Conference on Community Writing. It's also available in Google Doc format, at the following link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gzaXKBK9xLEj3-ymebW0BBz4A-t7cC5OTT_Io7fZTYM/edit?usp=sharing

In a recent article about viewers' choice of shows and series, The Guardian referred to contemporary television as "comfort TV" and "prestige television", including all those streaming services that have recently pushed the very concept of television beyond traditional borders, while also giving it a new, vibrant life. ‘Comfort’ is most likely referred to the ease of consumption, both in terms of space (with portable technologies) and time (no longer univocally fixed by broadcasters). ‘Prestige’, as the quote says, is related to the incredible, and increasing, array of choices available; whereas quality can be referred to overall production standards, but perhaps not always to translation.
As consumption of contemporary television, including streaming services, increases and diversifies, the need to understand, monitor and cater for the viewers' needs and expectations is ever more important, also through the lens of translation. This article discusses a recent experiment on the reception of a subtitled TV series by young Italian viewers, carried out using eye tracking and questionnaires. The experiment is here presented mainly to highlight the relevance, and the great potential, of reception studies applied to the training of audiovisual translators, and more specifically of subtitlers. After all, learning an eminently practical skill has to encompass as thorough a knowledge of its users as possible. Inspired by the curiosity of a subtitling company about viewers’ comprehension and appreciation of
subtitled audiovisual texts viewed on screens of different sizes, this experiment was conducted using authentic subtitled materials and, as often happens with experimental research, it provided results that were largely unexpected, also bringing to the fore issues (such as reading speed) that had not been considered central at the onset.
In the following sections, key concepts in which the experiment is grounded will be explored, followed by the discussion of issues which have emerged from the experiment itself. As for the results, only a few will be presented, with a view to highlighting their relevance for the training of subtitlers.

[English abstract follows]
Negli ultimi decenni, l’accessibilità è stata motore di una rivoluzione profonda che ha modificato radicalmente, e continua a modificare, la società. È una rivoluzione che attraversa discipline e ambiti diversi, portando un cambio di paradigma nella concezione dell’essere umano e dei rapporti con gli altri. Una rivoluzione che ha permesso di progettare un nuovo senso di società. Su questo sfondo, il testo argomenta in favore dell’accessibilità come strumento necessario per l’attuazione dei diritti umani di tutti, non solo delle persone con disabilità, e applica questa tesi all’ambito culturale.

Abstract.
In the past decades, accessibility has been the engine of a deep revolution that has radically modified and still modifies society. It is a revolution that intersects different topics and disciplines, producing a paradigm shift in the very idea of human being and of our relationships with others. A revolution that allows to design a new sense of society. Within this background, the text argues in favour of accessibility as a necessary instrument for the human rights of all, not only of persons with disabilities, and it applies this thesis to the cultural field.

The editors of The Palgrave Handbook of Audiovisual Translation and Media Accessibility, Łukasz Bogucki and Mikołaj Deckert, have put together an impressive number of renowned scholars from a thriving and continuously expanding field of enquiry.

Emília Perez – Miroslava Brezovská – Zuzana Jánošíková
Slovak Dubbing and Subtitling over the Course of Time

Slovak Dubbing and Subtitling over the Course of Time (2021) focuses on the realities of Slovak audiovisual translation in both research and practice. Mapping the current state of audiovisual translation in Slovakia against the background of relevant historical, cultural and sociological data, the authors combine their research with their practical experience and offer the reader a complex overview of Slovak audiovisual translation divided into three thematic areas. The first of them investigates the praxeological aspects of audiovisual translation in Slovakia in three historical periods (socialist Czechoslovakia until 1989, the 1990s, and the so-called golden era and subsequent marketization of dubbing in Slovakia) revealing the linguistic, translational, cultural and technological specifics of the times. The subsequent section analyses the current state of art in TV broadcasting, cinema distribution and video-on-demand services, exploring the actual condition of dubbing and subtitling in the country and verifying the thesis that classifies Slovakia as a traditionally dubbing market. The findings resulting from this investigation indicate most current tendencies in the representation and application of dubbing and subtitling in the country, challenging traditional views especially in the case of cinema. The third section focuses on the current challenges in audiovisual translation in Slovakia, examining their further impact on the development of translation and media practice in this area. The authors examine the phenomenon of on-demand video broadcasting in Slovakia against the background of the cultural and social specifics of the region. They analyse the phenomenon of Czech localization in the Slovak cultural space and explain how it has passed from television to cinema screening and online broadcasting. They examine the practices in the area of media accessibility in the country, focusing predominantly on TV broadcasting.
The results of the authors’ investigations presented in this joint monographic publication explore several ambiguities and conjectures about audiovisual translation in Slovakia which often resonate in the professional, academic and also public lay space. The authors provide answers to fundamental questions about the development, state and potential of dubbing and subtitling in Slovakia, map the issue of language representation in audiovisual translation and reflect current trends in translation and media practice. The mentioned phenomena are analysed within the broader cultural, social and political context, which at the same time helps to adequately and comprehensively interpret the current state of audiovisual translation and accessibility of media in Slovakia.


Slovenský dabing a titulkovanie v premenách času, Nitra 2021, 123 p.

Subtitling for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (SDH) is a relatively new branch in the field of audiovisual translation. From a technological and a social point of view, SDH could be characterised as ‘mature’, ‘advancing’ or ‘totally absent’ in different countries. Surprisingly enough, Greece belongs to the second category, although only since 2006, through a single source (ERTdigital) and with the need of special equipment, which is also why little, if any, material can be found on the process, the distribution and the aims and prospects of SDH in Greece.
The purpose of this dissertation is to approach the practice through examples of audiovisual material that could possibly be of interest to television viewers. Those examples and the process followed are presented in the first chapter. Considering the ‘infancy’ of SDH in Greece, a brief theoretical background including discussions on the current role of SDH in Greek television, as well as a detailed commentary on the choices made regarding the linguistic and technical dimension involved in the production of SDH in the examples of chapter 1 were considered crucial and were, thus, included in the second and third chapter. A further aim is to highlight the importance of specific kinds of information that need to be illustrated for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (D/HOH) and possible ways in which this could be processed both theoretically and practically.
The process followed for the production of SDH will be based on official guidelines, while the strengths and weaknesses of the guidelines will be discussed on the grounds of viewers’ needs. The information presented is the outcome of research, discussions and exchange of data with national organisations and people involved in the production of SDH in Europe. The dissertation attempts to explore the process of SDH, identify its role in Greece and suggest ways in which it could further develop in the future.

Accessibility and usability have been fundamental concerns for instructional designs in online engineering education. With the prevalence of online professional development and course management systems (CMS), the delivery of accessible and user-friendly course materials become crucial to a successful online program. Government entities, including public universities like UW-Madison, are legally bounded by the regulations of Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act requiring all web content is within reach of all users. Universal design principles go beyond accessibility requirements and advocate that designing online education for a diversity of user needs and circumstances enhances learning for everyone. In this paper, we explore key accessibility, usability, and universal design issues to see how user experiences in distance education have been optimized to benefit all users. We discuss current trends and potential best practices of effective distance teaching and learning in continuing education under recommended frameworks from Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0. We will share practical tips and lessons learned from our experiences developing online Engineering Master Degree Programs

Мурманский арктический государственный университет, Мурманск В статье рассматривается перевод аудиодескрипции с английского языка на рус-ский как возможность расширить границы доступной среды для слепых и слабо-видящих. Предлагается стратегия работы переводчика с учетом особенностей со-здания текста аудиодескрипции. Ключевые слова: аудиодескрипция, видеоряд, доступная среда, аудиовизуальный перевод, культурная реалия. В последнее время вопросы создания доступной среды для слепых и сла-бовидящих оказались в центре внимания не только представителей специализи-рованных организаций (таких, как Всероссийское общество слепых и его реги-ональные отделения или специальные образовательные учреждения), но и ис-следователей, представителей власти, культурных учреждений, создателей аудиовизуальных произведений и т.д. Доказательством тому может служить принятое в Российской Федерации в 2016 году законодательство, согласно ко-торому художественные и анимационные фильмы с государственной поддерж-кой обязаны предоставлять тифлодорожку к готовому продукту, что облегчит доступ слепых и слабовидящих к аудиовизуальным произведениям. Ежегодно Министерство культуры РФ по результатам экспертизы кино-проектов определяет, какие фильмы получат субсидии от государства. Доля та-ких фильмов в общем потоке аудиовизуальных произведений, попадающих на российские экраны, мала: так, в 2018 году из 65 картин, представленных на экс-пертизу в категории «авторское и экспериментальное кино», государственную поддержку получили 35 фильмов, в категории «игровое кино для детей» поддер-жаны 12 проектов из 20. Это означает, что в течение года в обязательном по-рядке будет подготовлена тифлодорожка лишь для 12 аудиовизуальных произ-ведений для детей. Статистические данные о количестве слепых и слабовидя-щих в России следующие: из 218 тысяч слепых и слабовидящих 103 тысячи аб-солютно слепых, большинство людей с нарушениями зрения-люди в возрасте старше 50 лет, 22 %-молодежь и дети. Для слепых и слабовидящих представителей молодого поколения основ-ным источником получения информации является Интернет. Развитие техноло-гий позволяет им пользоваться голосовыми программами для считывания ин-формации с экрана компьютера или смартфона, приложениями, определяю-щими интенсивность света, камерами, распознающими объекты. Технология со-здания словесного описания на основе анализа визуальной информации аудио-визуального произведения, призванная компенсировать недостаток информа-ции, получаемой при помощи зрения, позволяет слепым и слабовидящим смот-реть кино, тем самым приобщаясь к жизни общества.

While much recent research has focused on the practices of and guidelines for subtitling for the D/deaf and hard-of-hearing (SDH), scant attention has been paid to the different strategies used by subtitlers for sound-effect labelling. Current research into the practice of sound-effect labelling should address two issues: it must (1) shed light on the concept and nature of sound-effects per se and also (2) provide further information as to how such sounds are/could be perceived by deaf and hard-of-hearing audiences. This paper aims to give some insight into the labelling of sound-effects, beginning with the nature and particularities of such sounds and moving towards the crucial issue of audience reception in determining the adequacy of SDH renderings. To this end, a three-level model of analysis for the optimal transmission of sound-effects in SDH is proposed.

Films are audiovisual in nature. Both film’s sounds as well as visuals are source of information required to understand the film narrative. When persons with hearing impairment view film content, they cannot access the sound of the film. Hence it is possible that persons with hearing disabilities may not be able to understand the film narrative at par with the people who don’t have any such disability.
This experimental research study is aimed at finding the difference between the understanding of the narrative of AV clip when it is watched with sound and without sound. As a pre-test a trailer of the film without any sound was shown to people without audiovisual disabilities. And then the same trailer will be shown with sound to the same sample audience. Responses about viewers understanding of the narrative of the trailer will be collected in the form of questionnaire.
This research study is a small part of more extensive research aimed at finding how persons with disabilities understand the film narrative and what methods can be used to improve accessibility of audiovisual media so that PWDs understand film narrative at par with persons without disabilities.

Quando non c'è… si sente! Progetto di Ricerca per un Ebook Multimediale Alternativo Aumentativo con componente audio
OBIETTIVO
È opportuno realizzare, per il supporto alla didattica, un prodotto di Comunicazione Alternativa Aumentativa (CAA) che abbia anche una componente audio? Il progetto di ricerca si propone di rispondere a questa domanda prendendo in considerazione l'opportunità di un eBook multimediale che utilizzi il formato standard ed open-source ePub nella sua versione innovativa ePub3; viene quindi proposto un prototipo con ipotetica funzione di supporto didattico che possa essere considerato un modello da utilizzare in qualsiasi ambito divulgativo.

This article aims to describe the legal status of media accessibility in Iran, take a close look at the actions that have been taken regarding media accessibility and find out how the d/Deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) are satisfied with the existing audiovisual media accessibility services. This study reveals that the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran contains no direct reference to the rights of people with special needs, particularly to the right of media accessibility. Furthermore, the Comprehensive Disability Rights Act and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CPRD), despite having an impressive role in enhancing the life quality of people with special needs, have not been followed with adequate commitment. Subtitling for the d/Deaf and hard of hearing (SDH) and sign language interpreting (SLI), as the two assistive modalities of audiovisual translation (AVT), have been used to enable DHH to access audiovisual materials. However, these actions have not been implemented and controlled by government regulation; in consequence, they fall short of the proper standard and cannot meet the expectations of the Iranian DHH community.

This paper presents an audio description multilingual and multimodal corpus developed within the VIW (Visual Into Words) Project. A short fiction film was created in English for the project and was dubbed into Spanish and Catalan. Then, 10 audio descriptions in Catalan, 10 in English and 10 in Spanish were commissioned to professional describers. All these data were annotated at two levels (cinematic and linguistic) and were analysed using ELAN. The corpus is an innovative tool in the field of audiovisual translation research which allows for comparative analyses both intralingually and interlingually. Examples of possible analyses are put forward in the paper.

O direito ao acesso e à participação ativa de todos é garantido no artigo n.º 27 da Declaração Internacional de Direitos Humanos de 1948. Para a ONU, a definição de acessibilidade é o processo de conseguir a igualdade de oportunidades em todas as esferas da sociedade (online). Dodd e Sandell (1998) e Sassaki (2005) classificam esta ideia em diferentes dimensões para além da acessibilidade física, como a informativa, a cultural, a financeira, a emocional, a intelectual e a sensorial (Dodd & Sandell, 1998), e a arquitetónica, a comunicacional, a metodológica, a instrumental, a programática e a atitudinal (Sassaki, 2005), a serem consideradas em projetos de acessibilidade. Atualmente, a Tradução Audiovisual e as suas modalidades dispõem de recursos que promovem a mediação cultural e, consequentemente, a inclusão e a acessibilidade. Um dos principais objetivos do projeto é «trazer» o distrito de Bragança para o mapa da acessibilidade, particularmente no contexto museológico. Assim, descreveremos as fases seguidas na construção dos textos com audiodescrição e em linguagem simples, no Museu da Terra de Miranda, em Miranda do Douro, e no Museu do Abade de Baçal, em Bragança. Paralelamente, refletiremos sobre os pontos fortes dos projetos, as dificuldades mais prementes e as estratégias utilizadas para as ultrapassar.

Over the years, accessible media services have gained importance in our globalised society, due to the huge amount of information available and the increasing number of
people with some kind of sensory impairment. Subtitling for the Deaf and Hard-of-hearing (SDH), as one of these services, is now reaching the state of maturity, but
too little attention has been paid so far to the discussion of topics other than the technical characteristics and practice of SDH. As legislation plays a crucial role in the
implementation and availability of audiovisual accessibility practices and services, this paper sets out to provide an overview of the Italian legislation on audiovisual
accessibility, with a specific focus on hearing impairment. By doing this, the objective of the article is to show where Italy stands in Europe on this topic, therefore
suggesting the measures that should to be taken to foster greater audiovisual accessibility not only for the hearing impaired, but for all.

O livro The Palgrave Handbook of Audiovisual Translation and Media Accessibility, editado pelos professores Łukasz Bogucki e Mikołaj Deckert, e publicado pela editora Palgrave Mcmillan (BOGUCKI; DECKERT, 2020), apresenta uma coletânea de artigos escritos por experts em tradução audiovisual e acessibilidade na mídia, buscando atualizar as discussões sobre o assunto e indicar novas possibilidades de temas de pesquisa na contemporaneidade. Esta resenha tem o objetivo de apresentar a obra, de maneira geral, para os leitores e pesquisadores brasileiros de tradução audiovisual e acessibilidade na mídia, além de discutir a relevância da publicação para a área.

В статье рассматривается опыт словесного описания англоязычных аудиовизуальных произведений для детей на примере мультфильма «Корпорация монстров». В США, Китае и странах Европы накоплен глобальный опыт исследования аудиодескрипции как части аудиовизуального перевода. В России ис- следования такого плана находятся только на стадии становления. Внимание исследователей и практиков аудиодескрипция (тифлокомменитрование, АД) привлекла в РФ после принятия закона о создании благоприятных условий для доступа слепых и слабовидящих к аудиовизуальным произведениям в 2016 году, а также после внесения соответсвующих поправок в Гражданский Кодекс РФ. Изучение зарубежного опыта написания аудиодескрипции позволит под- готовить четкие рекомендации по созданию описания на русском языке с учетом возрастных особенностей зрителей. Автор сопоставляет аудиодескрипцию монстров – главных героев произведения – с их описанием зрячими зрителями посредством мультимодальной транскрипции, которая позволяет выделить сегменты видеоряда, значимые для описания. В результате сопоставления выделяются детали внешности персонажей, которые опущены при словесном описании. В заключении работы предложены пересмотренные рекомендации по составлению сценария аудиодескрипции для детей.