Audiovisual Accessibility for the Deaf and the Hard of Hearing in Iran

Abstract

This article aims to describe the legal status of media accessibility in Iran, take a close look at the actions that have been taken regarding media accessibility and find out how the d/Deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) are satisfied with the existing audiovisual media accessibility services. This study reveals that the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran contains no direct reference to rights of people with special needs, particularly to the right of media accessibility. Furthermore, the Comprehensive Disability Rights Act and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CPRD), despite having an impressive role in enhancing the life quality of people with special needs, have not been followed with adequate commitment. Subtitling for the d/Deaf and hard of hearing (SDH) and sign language interpreting (SLI), as the two assistive modalities of audiovisual translation (AVT), have been used to enable DHH to access audiovisual materials. However, these actions have not been implemented and controlled by the government regulation; in consequence, they fall short of the proper standard and cannot meet the expectations of the Iranian DHH community.