The curb-cut effect
Curb cut, dropped kerb, kerb ramp. Depending on where you are in the world, these terms bring to mind a certain familiar feature of city sidewalks. At Leinhäuser, we’re language experts but today, we want to talk to you (briefly) about urban planning (just … bear with us for a moment here.) A curb cut is one of those small ramps built into curbs on sidewalks. They were originally conceived as an accessibility feature – a way to make streets more accessible to wheelchair users. Curb cuts did go some way in making cities more accessible for people with disabilities. What wasn’t foreseen, however, was that curb cuts would actually come to benefit many more people than they were originally designed for – anybody who’s pushed a stroller or pulled a rolling suitcase or ridden or walked alongside a bicycle on the sidewalk can attest to this. This phenomenon even now has its own name: the curb-cut effect. It applies when something designed as an accessibility measure ultimately proves useful for more people than was originally thought.
European Accessibility Act (EAA)
Right now, there are over 80 million people in the EU living with some form of impairment and/or disability: That’s over a quarter of the EU adult population. And yet accessibility, when not overlooked entirely, is all too often treated as an afterthought at best. Soon, however, this might all change. June 2025 will see the European Accessibility Act come into full effect. From then on, businesses like yours will be required, by law, to ensure that your products and services are accessible to a much broader audience than before. The directive details exactly which services and products will be subject to scrutiny – and among them, you’ll find audiovisual media. In this article, we’ll provide you with an overview of the measures your business can take to ensure your media is accessible and EAA compliant – and consider who else might benefit as a result.
Audio Description
First on our list, we have Audio Description (AD.) AD is a mode of media accessibility that was first and foremost designed for people who are blind and partially sighted, so it’s all about presenting visual information audibly. Between dialogue or other audible information, a separate voice track describes the video’s visual information: scenery, body language, facial expressions, and movements. Relaying the most important information in such short intervals of time is no mean feat and, like every other service on this list, is best handled by a skilled practitioner. New studies have led us to believe that AD also makes media more accessible to people who have difficulty identifying emotions, such as people on the autistic spectrum. What’s more, AD can also help your audience enjoy a bit of added flexibility. If they’re unable to concentrate on a screen because they’re busy with another task, they can switch on AD and hear a description of what’s happening on screen instead.
Transcription
A transcript presents all of the audible information that your video contains in a separate document, in writing. Traditionally, transcripts were an access measure for viewers who are deaf and hard of hearing, but they’re beneficial to other viewers, too. They’re a really handy addition for helping your audience retrieve any specific information they need from your video. Maybe they’ve already watched the whole thing once through and want to quickly review, in writing, a particular point made. Perhaps you discussed a cutting-edge topic in your last podcast and a researcher wants to reference your source in a research paper. If you make the transcript interactive, it’s even better: With a click of a word, your viewers can be immediately taken to the corresponding section of the video!
Intralingual Subtitles
Intralingual subtitles present all of a video’s audible information – dialogue, sound effects, music lyrics, etc. – verbally, on screen, and in sync with the original audio. Originally an accessibility measure for deaf and hard of hearing viewers, intralingual subtitles have come to be emblematic of the curb-cut effect in media accessibility because they’re useful to so many different people in so many different ways: When the viewer is in a noisy environment, when they’ve forgotten their headphones, when they’re in an environment where playing sound isn’t permitted, when they’re watching in a language they understand but isn’t their native language – to name just a few. And some audiences … Well, they just kind of like them! According to a recent YouGov poll, 61% of 18 to 24 year olds in the UK prefer to watch content with subtitles. Truthfully, we can’t blame them. We’re also very fond of subtitles ourselves.
By ensuring your media is accessible, you can spread your message further, offer your audience added flexibility, and give yourself peace of mind knowing that your business media is EAA compliant. For more information about our corporate audiovisual translation and accessibility services, get in touch with our audiovideo team – we look forward to collaborating with you.
Editorial Team Leinhäuser
Languages are our passion.
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