Accessibility and technological tools in audiovisual translation (TAV). Accessible audiovisual products

The EU Directive 2019/882 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 April 2019 on accessibility requirements for products and services specifies that “the demand for accessible products and services is high and the number of people with disabilities is projected to increase significantly. An environment where products and services are more accessible allows for a more inclusive society and facilitates independent living for people with disabilities." In universities and in any educational context where accessibility is a transversal subject, we advocate the promotion of audiovisual translation (AVT) technologies and tools that make audiovisual materials accessible to groups with visual and hearing disabilities who wish to consume audiovisual products under the same conditions as the hearing and sighted population. This article analyses the technological resources and IT tools that many professionals use in their professional work, by instructors who teach audiovisual translation methods related to accessibility (subtitling for the deaf and audio-description for the blind) and by researchers who study the use of these technologies and tools. It also provides the views of these AVT professionals on software available on the market to make audiovisual materials more accessible in an inclusive society such as ours should be.