Animating Inclusion

Filmmakers use sound to build suspense for their audiences, but are Deaf people getting an equal experience to hearing people when they watch a film? 

‘Animating Inclusion: Improving film and TV accessibility for Deaf communities’ explores how well sound is translated into the captions Deaf audiences read when they watch a film or TV show. It builds on from a 2022 Sheffield Innovation Programme collaborative project, ‘How do Deaf British Sign Language (BSL) users experience suspense in film?’

We hope that ‘Animating Inclusion’ will encourage media production companies and streaming platforms to make film and TV more accessible for Deaf people. The potential impacts of making film and TV accessible for Deaf audiences are explored further in our second film, ‘Rethinking Subtitles for Deaf Audiences’.

Dr Ryan Bramley recently submitted these project findings and recommendations as written evidence to the Culture, Media and Sport Committee’s British Film and High-End Television Inquiry (to benefit their exploration of ‘What needs to change to ensure the industry is supporting inclusivity and sustainability’)

For a version of the 'Animating Inclusion' film accompanied by BSL Interpretation, press 'play' on the video below:

For a version of the 'Animating Inclusion' film accompanied by BSL Interpretation AND Audio Description, press 'play' on the video below: