Subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing (SDH) is a recent innovation by the Video & Film Industry. Initially introduced in America, SDH is similar to regular subtitles in the spoken language, and they also contain some crucial non-dialogue information for those who cannot hear the background sound effects. Such subtitles are typically intended for people with hearing impairments and those who cannot understand the spoken language and accents. Further, they can be intralingual (in the same languages) or interlingual (between two languages).
Approximately 500 million people in the world are deaf and hard-of-hearing. So, if you want to increase the accessibility of your audiovisual content and reach a wider audience, adding SDH to your videos can be the best option.
Difference between SDH, Subtitles, and Closed Captions
Video makers provide one of the three options to make their content more accessible to the worldwide audience – subtitles, closed captions, and subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing (SDH). These may seem similar. But in reality, they are different from one another.
Subtitles are the translation of the dialogue either in the same language or in the foreign language. These texts appear on the bottom of the screen and are generally not more than two lines in length. Subtitles are aimed for the viewers who do not speak the same language used in the video, but who can still hear it.
Closed captions (CC), on the other hand, are the text version of the dialogue and audio cues in the video. They are in the language of the medium and are suitable for television shows, movies, etc. Moreover, like subtitles, they are displayed on the bottom of the screen and can be turned off or on.
Subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing (SDH) are a combination of both subtitles and closed captions. These not only contain the transcription of the dialogues but also includes information, such as background noises, character identification, music relevant to the plot, and other audio cues. In character identification, different colors are assigned to the speakers, and sometimes, the text is placed closest to the character speaking.
Benefits of Subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing (SDH)
Subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing (SDH) are an essential feature of your video, and not just because they help the deaf and hard-of-hearing population to understand the video. These subtitles have other benefits as well.
• SDH allows companies to make their video content accessible to a worldwide audience with minimum efforts.
• These help non-native speakers of the language spoken in the video, or people who are learning the language, to watch and understand the content.
• With the help of textual representation of dialogues placed at the bottom of the screen, it also helps people who are not able to use the video’s sound in sound-sensitive environments, like libraries, conferences, etc.
SDH is quickly becoming an important element of video localization. There are many benefits to adding subtitles to your audiovisual content, both for you and your audience. Hence, it is crucial to include high-quality, fast, and accurate SDH subtitles that can help hearing-impaired people to get the full experience of the video content.
Find the best partner for your all your subtitling and captioning requirements – DUBnSUB. DUBnSUB is a full-service post-production company based in Gurgaon, India with branch offices in Myanmar, France, Germany, and the USA. We offer high-quality Subtitling & Captioning services in over 100 languages for pre-recorded television programs, documentary films, feature films, webcasts, and podcasts.
For any requirements/queries, please contact [email protected] or give us a call at +91 124 498 2484. We will be more than happy to help!