ABSTRACT
This chapter explores audiovisual translation (AVT) in relation to models of psycholinguistics and cognitive perception. It introduces the concept of media accessibility as embracing various types of translation—namely sign language interpreting, subtitling for the deaf and hard of hearing (SDH) and audio description (AD) for people who are blind or partially sighted—that enable users with a sensory disability to access audiovisual media content. It focuses on the subjective nature of perception, and addresses Gambier’s (2009) concerns about loss in AVT, demonstrating how language and other forms of knowledge can compensate for the loss of information in sensory modes that cannot be perceived directly by the user. It argues that access modes of AVT such as AD and SDH are no less prone to loss or subjectivity than lexical modes of translation. It also discusses how the concept of immersion or presence can be of use in measuring the efficacy of AD and SDH and how Gibson’s (1979) concept of affordances and an understanding of visual perception can help describers make choices in content selection. This chapter therefore addresses Vermeer’s (1989) concern as to how translators choose between different translation options that may appear to be equally possible and appropriate.
