Accessibility Services through Intersemiotic Translation.

The concept of accessibility has emerged as a cornerstone in the modern drive for inclusivity, transforming barriers into bridges and fostering a more equitable society. Whether in audiovisual media, museums, or even the fashion industry, the goal is to ensure that people with disabilities can fully engage with and enjoy diverse cultural, educational, and entertainment experiences. Media accessibility services such as Subtitling for the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing (SDH), Live Subtitling (LS), and Audio Description (SD) have proven essential for enabling diverse audiences to enjoy movies, television programs, live events, and more. Similarly, museums have embraced accessibility to ensure exhibits can be experienced by all visitors, incorporating features like tactile displays or musical ekphrases for blind patrons, and live or pre-recorded subtitling services for those with hearing loss. Even sectors like the fashion industry have begun to prioritise accessibility, definitively proving that it is not an obstacle to creativity, contrary to longstanding misconceptions.

This widespread adoption of accessibility has been driven by both technological advancements and changing societal attitudes across European countries. Natural Language Processing, Artificial Intelligence, and Augmented Reality have contributed to making accessibility tools more sophisticated and user-friendly. At the same time, legal frameworks such as the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the upcoming European Accessibility Act have reinforced the need for inclusivity in both public and private sectors, thus helping raising awareness in the field.

Despite these advances, challenges remain. Accessibility is often unevenly distributed across regions and industries, with some sectors and countries outpacing others. In Audiovisual Translation Studies, the field has evolved from the exploratory works on media accessibility in the early 2000s to the consolidated standards of the 2010s, with current trends increasingly focusing on the detailed, specific needs of specific users of specific services within specific fields.

As this volume demonstrates, there is no one-size-fits-all solution for accessibility, due to the diverse cultural, linguistic, and technological contexts it must address. By gathering voices from such various landscapes, this volume provides a multifaceted exploration of both the universal principles and the local specificities of accessibility services applied to media, arts, and everyday life. It is divided into three thematic sections, featuring 11 double-blind peer-reviewed articles, stemming from contributions to the International Conference on Accessible Intersemiotic Translation (ICAIT), held in Parma on 31 March and 1 April 2022.

The volume starts with Verónica Arnáiz-Uzquiza and Paula Igareda’s "Old Accessibility for a New Television: Current Accessibility Solutions on VOD, TVOD, and Streaming Platforms", which serves as Introductory Reflections on the strides and shortcomings of media accessibility in the streaming era, focusing on European platforms. Their work highlights the gap between legislative aspirations and actual practices, urging improvements in accessible audiovisual services.

Section 1 - Pre-recorded Subtitling starts with María Labarta Postigo investigating idiomatic translation in SDH with "Improving Subtitles: The Relevance of Translating Idioms for d/Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing People." Through a cognitive and contrastive analysis of English idioms translated into European and Latin American Spanish, the paper reveals how inadequate translation can diminish the viewing experience for deaf audiences. Then, Francesca Illiano shifts focus to Italian SDH in "L’italiano parlato nei sottotitoli per sordi e ipoudenti su RaiPlay: uno studio sociolinguistico per l’accessibilità del prodotto audiovisivo." Her sociolinguistic study assesses the accuracy of spoken Italian subtitling on RaiPlay, considering colloquialisms, dialects, and other linguistic features crucial for retaining the authenticity of the original dialogue. Finally, Jurgita Kerevičienė explores accessibility in Lithuania in "Subtitling for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing: An Atypical Audience for Screen Translation in Lithuania?" She contextualises media accessibility within the country’s post-Soviet evolution, examining societal perceptions of disability and legislative advancements.

Section 2 - Live Subtitling begins with Silvia Martínez Martínez and Vicente Bru García delving into museum contexts in "'En vivo y subtitulado': comparativa de las estrategias de traducción en el subtitulado para sordos de productos audiovisuales museísticos en directo y pregrabados." Their study compares subtitling strategies for live versus pre-recorded museum content, emphasising linguistic simplifications for audiences with limited literacy skills. Then, Alice Pagano bridges the gap between live and pre-recorded translation in "Testing Quality of Different Live Subtitling Methods: A Spanish to Italian Case Study." She evaluates five methods of interlingual LS, from human-mediated approaches to automated systems, analysing their efficacy in live broadcasting scenarios. Finally, Carlo Eugeni and Silvia Velardi investigate technological advancements in SDH and LS with "Il contributo dell’accessibilità per sordi alla resocontazione." Their work traces the evolution of Automatic Speech Recognition technology in Italy, highlighting its dual benefits for accessibility and institutional transparency.

Section 3 - Audio Description begins with María J. Valero Gisbert venturing into novel territory with "Reflexiones sobre la audiodescripción aplicada al cómic." She examines the challenges of adapting graphic novels for blind readers, proposing solutions to integrate visual and textual elements into accessible formats. Then, María Fernández De Casadevante Mayordomo presents cutting-edge applications in "La audiodescripción como modalidad de traducción intersemiótica: novedades y retos." From museum navigation tools to accessible fashion, her paper showcases the expansive potential of intersemiotic translation. Małgorzata Korycińska-Wegner explores innovative approaches in "Alternative Audiodeskription: Die Anwendung der musikalischen Ekphrasis im Hörfilm." Her study of musical ekphrasis suggests that AD can transcend verbal cues, offering aesthetic interpretations of cinematic elements. Finally, Laura Martinkutė closes the volume with "Audio Description of Theatre and Cinema Production in Lithuania: Experiences and Needs of Users." She provides a user-focused study on the challenges and successes of AD in Lithuanian cultural contexts, stressing the role of language-specific adaptations.

Overall, the insights offered here inspired all of us—authors, reviewers, and editors. We are confident they will also serve as a valuable resource for students, scholars, practitioners, and policymakers. They point the way toward a more inclusive future, where customised access to culture and information is a common, everyday right, not a privilege. Enjoy the issue!

Carlo Eugeni & María J. Valero Gisbert

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