B2773 - Language and Accessibility

Learning outcomes

By the end of this 40-hour course, students will be able to:

• explain the core principles of accessibility, inclusion, and universal design, with a focus on access to information, access to culture, accessible media products, and inclusive communication.
• demonstrate knowledge of national and international disability and accessibility legislation.
• analyze inclusion through the lens of intersectionality.
• evaluate communication, texts, events and cultural products for accessibility and inclusion.
• write and edit documents using plain language (English and Italian) for clarity and accessibility.
• adapt communication strategies to end users’ needs.
• create a final project that integrates theoretical frameworks into a practical solution.

Course contents

The 40-hour first semester course is part of the larger integrated two-semester course Linguaggi e tecnologie per l’accessibilità. Tecnologie per l’accessibilità (40 hours) will be held in the second semester.

The first semester course is divided into two 20-hour modules. The first module will be taught by Prof. Giulia Bencini, while the second module will be taught by Prof. Valeria Illuminati.

The course aims to explore the core principles of accessibility and inclusion as well as their practical applications, especially in linguistic and translation terms. Core principles and theories will be discussed from an interdisciplinary perspective. The course will also include viewing and analyzing films and documentaries, hands-on practical exercises, and discussions among participants.

The first 20-hour module with prof. Bencini introduces accessibility from an interdisciplinary perspective that integrates disability studies, linguistics, communication studies and Universal Design. Students examine how linguistic choices, text design and communication practices can either facilitate or hinder access to information for diverse audiences. Particular attention is paid to the role of translators and language mediators as professionals who design communication for users with different linguistic, cognitive and communicative needs.

The module combines theoretical foundations with practical analysis of authentic texts and communicative materials. Students will progressively develop the analytical tools required to evaluate accessibility and redesign communication before moving, in the second module, to specialized accessibility services and translation practices.

By the end of the first module you will be able to:

• explain accessibility as a linguistic, communicative and social issue grounded in the CRPD and Universal Design;
• describe contemporary models of disability and discuss their implications for communication and translation;
• explain the contribution of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) to understanding communication needs;
• analyze linguistic, cognitive and communicative barriers affecting access to information;
• evaluate texts and communicative products from an accessibility perspective;
• apply principles of inclusive communication and plain language to improve accessibility;
• adapt communication for different audiences while preserving communicative purpose;
• justify accessibility decisions using appropriate theoretical frameworks. 

The second 20-hour module with Prof. Illuminati focuses on translation and accessibility.

It frames accessibility and inclusion as both theoretical concepts and practices within translation studies and, more specifically, within the field of audiovisual translation. Adopting an interdisciplinary perspective, it traces the origins and development of specific translation practices aimed at accessibility in translation studies, following their evolution from Media Accessibility to Accessibility Studies, and introduces the main accessibility services.

The module examines the various modes and types of inter- and intralinguistic and multimodal translation for accessibility in the different contexts where they are used (e.g. cinema, museums, live performances, etc.) and with regard to the specific linguistic, cognitive and communicative characteristics of the target audience. Particular attention is paid to the linguistic dimension and the verbal component of the different accessibility services (simplification and easy-to-read, audio description, captioning and subtitling for d/Deaf and hard of hearing audiences) in order to provide the theoretical, methodological and translation tools necessary to design and develop accessible and inclusive textual, audiovisual, multimedia and multimodal content, or to adapt such content to make it accessible and inclusive.

Lectures aimed at introducing the fundamental theoretical concepts are complemented by analysis and examination of authentic materials and case studies, as well as practical exercises.

Readings/Bibliography

The course bibliography consists of a selection of essays from different journals and books, including:

Module 1 (Bencini)

American Psychological Association. (2023). Inclusive language guide (2nd ed.). https://www.apa.org/about/apa/equity-diversity-inclusion/language-guidelines. 

Barnes, C. (2019), Understanding the social model of disability. In Watson, N., Vehmas, S. Routledge Handbook of Disability Studies Routledge. https://www.routledgehandbooks.com/doi/10.4324/9780429430817-2.

Bencini, G. M. L. (2023). Universal Design and Communication Rights: Meeting the Challenge of Linguistic and Communicative Diversity. In I. Garofolo, G. Bencini (Eds.) Design for Inclusion. Studies in Health and Technology and Informatics, Volume 303, pp. 76–82, IOS Press. 

Best, K. L., Mortenson, W. B., Lauzière-Fitzgerald, Z. &, Smith E. M. (2022). Language matters! The long-standing debate between identity first language and person first language, Assistive Technology, 34:2, 127-128. https://doi.org/10.1080/10400435.2022.2058315. 

Brueggemann, B. J. (2013). Disability studies/disability culture. In M. L. Wehmeyer (Ed.), The Oxford handbook of positive psychology and disability (pp. 279–299). Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780195398786.013.013.0019. 

Dunn, D. S., & Andrews, E. E. (2015). Person-first and identity-first language: Developing psychologists’ cultural competence using disability language. American Psychologist, 70(3), 255–264. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0038636.

European Commission: Directorate-General for Translation, How to write clearly, Publications Office, 2011. https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2782/29211.

Oliver, M. (2013). The social model of disability: thirty years on. Disability & Society, 28 (7), 1024–1026. https://doi.org/10.1080/09687599.2013.818773.

Shakespeare, T. (2010). The Social Model of. Disability. In L. J. Davis (ed.) The Disability Studies Reader. New York: Routledge, 266–273.

Sins Invalid. (2016). Skin, Tooth, and Bone: The Basis of Movement is Our People. A disability justice primer from a BIPOC queer-led collective.

University of Kansas, Research and Training Center on Independent Living. (2020). Guidelines: How to write about people with disabilities (9th ed.). Available at: https://rtcil.org/guidelines.

United Nations (UN) (1975) Declaration on the Rights of Disabled Persons, New York: UN. Available at: http://www2.ohchr.org/english/law/res3447.htm.

United Nations (UN) (2006; 2009) Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and Optional Protocol, New York: UN. Available at: www.un.org/disabilities/documents/convention/convotp rot-e/pdf.

World Health Organization. (2001). International classification of functioning, disability and health (ICF). Available at: http://www.who.int/classifications/icf/en/.

World Health Organization (2011). World report on disability. https://www.who.int/disabilities/world_report/2011/en/.

 

Module 2 (Illuminati)

Carbonara, Lorena and Francesca Raffi (eds.) (2021) Traduzione è accessibilità. Tradurre le immagini in suono e il suono in segno, special issue Lingue e Linguaggi 43, http://siba-ese.unisalento.it/index.php/linguelinguaggi/article/view/23672/19785.

Fryer, Louise (2016) An introduction to audio description: A practical guide, London, Routledge.

Greco, Gian Maria (2016) “On Accessibility as a human right, with an application to media accessibility”, in Matamala Anna and Orero Pilar (eds.) Researching audio description. New approaches, London, Palgrave Macmillan, 11-33.

Greco, Gian Maria (2018) “The nature of accessibility studies”, Journal of Audiovisual Translation 1(1): 205-232, https://doi.org/10.47476/jat.v1i1.51.

Greco, Gian Maria and Pablo Romero-Fresco (eds.) (2023) Universalist, user-centred, and proactive approaches in media accessibility, special issue The Journal of Specialised Translation 39, https://jostrans.soap2.ch/issue39/issue39_toc.php.

Neves, Joselia (2018) “Subtitling for deaf and hard of hearing audiences: Moving forward”, in Luis Pérez-González (ed.) The Routledge Handbook of Audiovisual Translation, London & New York, Routledge, 82-95.

Remael, Aline, Nina Reviers, and Gert Vercauteren (eds.) (2015) Pictures painted in words: ADLAB Audio Description guidelines, Trieste, Edizioni Università di Trieste.

Richart-Marset, Mabel, Francesca Calamita (eds.) (2020) Translation and Media Accessibility: from Theory to Practice, numéro spécial MonTI 12, https://rua.ua.es/dspace/bitstream/10045/106635/1/MonTI_12.pdf.

Romero-Fresco, Pablo (2018) “In support of a wide notion of media accessibility: Access to content and access to creation”, Journal of Audiovisual Translation 1(1): 187-204.

Romero-Fresco, Pablo (2019) “Subtitling for the deaf and hard of hearing”, in Mona Baker and Gabriela Saldanha (eds.) Routledge Encyclopedia of Translation Studies, London, Routledge.

Sciumbata, Floriana Carlotta (2022) Manuale dell'italiano facile da leggere e da capire come scrivere testi semplici per persone con disabilità intellettive e difficoltà di lettura, Firenze, Cesati.

Szarkowska, Agnieszka (2020) “Subtitling for the deaf and the hard of hearing”, in Łukasz Bogucki and Mikołaj Deckert. (eds.) The Palgrave Handbook of Audiovisual Translation and Media Accessibility, Cham, Palgrave Macmillan, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-42105-2_13.

Taylor, Christopher, Elisa Perego (eds.) (2022) The Routledge Handbook of Audio Description, London, Routledge.

Zárate, Soledad (2021) Captioning and subtitling for d/Deaf and hard of hearing audiences, London, UCL Press.

Additional bibliographical references might be provided during the course and/or made available on the Virtuale e-learning platform.

Teaching methods

Students are required to attend at least 70% of classes.

The course consists of both lecture-based and seminar-style sessions. Seminar sessions will include viewing and analyzing films and documentaries, examining case studies, hands-on practical exercises, collaborative activities (peer-group work). Engagement and active participation are essential components of the course.

Throughout the course, students may be asked to engage with critical and theoretical readings, watch selected films and documentaries in preparation for seminar discussions.

Assessment methods

The first semester course includes a single summative assessment covering both module 1 (Bencini) and module 2 (Illuminati). This assessment consists of a collaborative group project (2 to 4 students), in which participants are expected to apply the theoretical frameworks, methodologies, and practical tools introduced throughout the course.

In detail, the assessment includes:

• A written project report (project work), to be submitted prior to the formal examination session. Specific submission guidelines and deadlines will be communicated by the course lecturers.
• An oral presentation and discussion on the day of the exam.

An interim presentation of the project (not assessed) is scheduled with the lecturers and the class group as preparation for the final exam.

 

Limited use of AI is permitted for specific tasks during the exam, such as literature research, research of authentic texts and content, and transcription of audiovisual content. The student will be asked to submit a statement indicating how AI was used. Generative use of AI to actually produce exam work is strictly forbidden. Any violation of this rule will be considered a serious breach of academic ethics.

 

The overall course grade, expressed on a scale of thirty points (Italian system), is calculated as the average of the marks obtained in the two modules that make up the integrated course.

Learning assessment scale:

30-30L (excellent): Excellent, in-depth knowledge of the course content, excellent ability to apply theoretical concepts, excellent exposition, as well as excellent capacity for critical analysis.

27-29 (above average): Accurate and extensive knowledge of content, good ability to apply theoretical concepts, ability for critical analysis, accurate and correct exposition.

24-26 (generally sound): Appropriate content knowledge, fair ability to apply theoretical concepts and to present content.

21-23 (sufficient): Appropriate but not extensive knowledge of content, partial ability to apply theoretical concepts, presentation of content acceptable.

18-20 (minimum): Sufficient but superficial knowledge of content, simple exposition, uncertainties in the application of theoretical concepts.

Failed (insufficient): Fragmented and superficial knowledge of content, errors in applying concepts, poor exposition. The exam must be repeated.

 

Students with specific learning difficulties (SpLD) or with disabilities that can affect their ability to attend courses are invited to contact the University service for students with disabilities and SLD at the earliest opportunity -- ideally before the start of the course: https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en/for-students. The University service will suggest possible adjustments to the course work and/or exam, which must then be submitted to the course leader so they can assess their feasibility, in line with the learning objectives of the course. Please note that adjustments to the exam must be requested at least two weeks in advance.

Teaching tools

Slides, videos, films and documentaries, bibliography and other material, all made available on the e-platform Virtuale in the dedicated section.

Office hours

See the website of Valeria Illuminati

See the website of Giulia Bencini