Subtitling for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Children: Not Only Functionality but Art

Subtitling practices for deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) children have advanced significantly, addressing both opportunities and challenges in literacy development. While many DHH children achieve reading proficiency comparable to their hearing peers, some continue to face literacy obstacles. Subtitling, a crucial accommodation for DHH individuals, has evolved from basic text to innovative, multimodal solutions that enhance comprehension and engagement. Research analysed in this review paper demonstrates that well-designed subtitles can positively impact reading skills, vocabulary expansion, and language acquisition for both DHH and hearing children. Key considerations in subtitle design include adapting complexity to viewers’ needs, optimising reading speed, and incorporating visual enhancements. The integration of subtitles into the filmmaking process and the application of creative subtitling techniques show promise in supporting DHH children’s literacy development and audiovisual content comprehension. Future research is needed to refine practices to better address the diverse needs of this population.