ABSTRACT
Any attempt to map subtitling for deaf and hard of hearing audiences (SDH) 50 years after its introduction on television will show that this audiovisual translation (AVT) modality has since come a very long way in terms of its acceptance, provision of services and research activity. Such subtitles are designed for people with hearing impairment because, in addition to rendering speech, they identify speakers and provide extra information about sound effects and music. Quite a novel concept to many Europeans only a few years ago, and an understudied topic even at the turn of the century, in recent years SDH has attracted the interest of regulators, professionals and academics, and particularly that of AVT researchers, who have contributed to raising awareness of its affordances and complexity. This has occurred through the study of SDH from numerous standpoints, the introduction of dedicated training at graduate and post-graduate levels, and the creation of research opportunities that bring together academics and professionals from different fields.
