Comparison of subtitling for the deaf and hard-of-hearing guidelines implemented accross countries

Subtitling for the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing (SDH) guidelines assume a prominent role in providing access to audiovisual materials by setting standards that enable the service providers to offer subtitles specifically tailored to cater for the needs and preference of the hearing-impaired viewers. In the absence of guidelines that do not take the viewers’ needs into account, the subtitles run the risk of adversely affecting the viewing experience of the deaf since it would vary from one supplier to the other. This article offers a descriptive analysis of the guidelines implemented in countries with ample experience in the production and broadcast of SDH, such as Canada, the UK and the USA, with the aim of discovering the prevailing norms in these varied socio-cultural contexts. The norms and conventions that regulate the provision of SDH services in these countries are compared to reveal not only their commonalities but also the issues that cause controversy and tend to vary across the different guidelines. The key parameters are grouped and discussed under four broad categories, namely, the layout and presentation of subtitles on screen, the temporal dimension, linguistic issues and non-linguistic information. The results of the analysis and comparison of the guidelines form a strong starting point for the development of guidelines which specifically cater for the needs and preferences of the Turkish deaf viewers.