Improving arts accessibility for people with varying visual and hearing ability
Dr Sarah Eardley-Weaver (QUB)
Media accessibility and social inclusion are increasingly prominent issues in today’s rapidly developing technological and multicultural world, as reflected in legislation and in a growing social awareness of inclusion as a fundamental human right. However, there remains a lack of promotion and awareness of the accessibility facilities for the blind and partially-sighted, as well as the deaf and hard-of-hearing, especially within the arts such as theatre, cinema, opera and museums. This presentation discusses findings from pioneering research into translation and accessibility issues in the arts, focusing on audio description, touch tours, sign language interpreting and subtitles/captioning. It includes examination of the production and reception of these innovative facilities which push the boundaries of current perceptions of the notions of accessibility and disability.
