ACCESSIBILITY OF COMMUNICATION IN THE MEDIA, AUDIO DESCRIPTION, AND INTRALINGUISTIC SUBTITLING MOD.1

The course is offered among the core courses of the first year of the Master’s Degree Programme. It has a theoretical–applied and professional orientation in the field of media accessibility, with specific reference to audiovisual products.

The course introduces students to the applied and operational dimension of audio description and intralingual subtitling, understood as practices of intralingual and intersemiotic mediation, as well as practices of social inclusion.

Module 2 is devoted to the development of practical and critical skills in the design, production and evaluation of accessible audiovisual products.

The course aims to consolidate and further develop the theoretical competences acquired in Module 1, orienting them towards professional practice and the operational application of the main techniques of audiovisual accessibility.

At the end of the course, students are expected to achieve the following learning outcomes:

1. Knowledge and understanding:
In-depth knowledge of the principles, strategies and guidelines of audio description and intralingual subtitling; understanding of the quality criteria and evaluation frameworks for accessible audiovisual products.

2. Applying knowledge and understanding:
Ability to design and produce basic audio description and/or intralingual subtitling products; ability to apply guidelines and reference standards in a conscious manner; ability to adapt linguistic and textual choices to different contexts of reception.

3. Making judgements:
Ability to critically evaluate accessible audiovisual products; ability to identify strengths and critical issues; ability to justify choices adopted in one’s own work in a reasoned manner.

4. Communication skills:
Ability to present and discuss one’s work clearly and in a well-structured manner; confident use of specialised terminology; ability to engage in critical discussion in an informed and reflective way.

5. Learning skills:
Ability to develop applied competences autonomously in the field of audiovisual accessibility; ability to critically consult guidelines, manuals and professional resources; ability to reflect on one’s own learning process.

The course is held in Italian. Attendance of Module 1 (Prof. De Bonis) is required, or alternatively the possession of equivalent knowledge of the theoretical foundations of accessibility of communication in the media.
A B2 level of English (CEFR) may be useful for consulting theoretical materials and guidelines originally available in English.

The course is divided into the following thematic units:

Unit 1. Audio description writing and design
Descriptive strategies; management of time and information density; lexis, syntax and style in audio description; applied examples.

Unit 2. Advanced intralingual subtitling
Linguistic adaptation; rendering of sounds, music and paralinguistic elements; readability and cognitive load; accessibility for different audiences.

Unit 3. Quality and evaluation of accessible products
Quality criteria; evaluation methods; analysis of recurring errors and best practices.

Unit 4. Tools and technologies for audiovisual accessibility
Software for audio description and subtitling; automation and artificial intelligence; the role of the human professional.

Unit 5. Professional applications and case studies
Accessibility in media, streaming platforms, festivals and cultural contexts; analysis and discussion of real-world projects.

Course handouts prepared by the lecturer and additional bibliographic materials will be made available on the course Moodle page (https://moodle.unive.it ) during the teaching period.
The Moodle access password will be provided at the beginning of the semester and may also be requested from the lecturer by email at any time.

The assessment for Module 2 includes a written component and an oral interview.
The written component consists of a practical assignment involving audio description and/or intralingual subtitling, accompanied by a written critical commentary (maximum 1,000 words) illustrating the choices adopted and the accessibility strategies applied.
The oral interview focuses on the discussion of the practical assignment and on theoretical questions aimed at assessing knowledge and understanding of the course contents.
The final course grade will be calculated as the average of the grades obtained in Module 1 and Module 2.

written and oral

The lecturer has a duty to ensure that the rules regarding the authenticity and originality of exam tests and papers are respected. Therefore, if there is suspicion of irregular conduct, an additional assessment may be conducted, which could differ from the original exam description.

The final grade will be determined based on the following criteria:
– Quality of the practical assignment, accuracy in the application of accessibility strategies and ability to critically justify the choices adopted (up to 15 points)
– Knowledge of the theoretical topics covered in the module (up to 5 points)
– Ability to apply and critically analyse the topics addressed in the module (up to 5 points)
– Command of specialised terminology and clarity and confidence in oral presentation (up to 5 points)

The maximum possible score is 30/30.
Honours (cum laude) may be awarded for excellent performance in all assessment criteria.

Module 2, worth 6 ECTS, consists of 30 hours of teaching with a predominantly laboratory-based approach, combined with lectures, practical activities involving the design and revision of accessible audiovisual products, and collective discussion of students’ work.

For further details on Module 1 (contents, programme and examination procedures), students are invited to refer to the official course page of Prof. De Bonis.

This subject deals with topics related to the macro-area "Human capital, health, education" and contributes to the achievement of one or more goals of U. N. Agenda for Sustainable Development