MAKING SOUND ACCESSIBLE: THE LABELLING OF SOUND-EFFECTS IN SUBTITLING FOR THE DEAF AND HARD-OF-HEARING

While much recent research has focused on the practices of and guidelines for subtitling for the D/deaf and hard-of-hearing (SDH), scant attention has been paid to the different strategies used by subtitlers for sound-effect labelling. Current research into the practice of sound-effect labelling should address two issues: it must (1) shed light on the concept and nature of sound-effects per se and also (2) provide further information as to how such sounds are/could be perceived by deaf and hard-of-hearing audiences. This paper aims to give some insight into the labelling of sound-effects, beginning with the nature and particularities of such sounds and moving towards the crucial issue of audience reception in determining the adequacy of SDH renderings. To this end, a three-level model of analysis for the optimal transmission of sound-effects in SDH is proposed.