Subtitle quality mixed

Stagetext calls for quality in subtitles

To coincide with Deaf Awareness Week, the deaf-led theatre access charity, Stagetext, has released new research that demonstrates that quality is crucial when it comes to subtitling.

The research, conducted by Stagetext with the support of the RNID, Arts Marketing Association and Peak Signal, shows that 85% of deaf, deafened or hard of hearing respondents say that the quality of subtitles is important to them and 63% of people questioned said that subtitles need to be as close to perfect as possible to be able to access what is being said.
 

Which is worse, poor quality or no subtitles?

In this survey of 94 people, they were also asked whether poor quality subtitles were better than nothing and 51% of respondents disagreed. This shows that quality subtitles matter and poor-quality subtitles may exclude the people they were meant to serve.

The study was undertaken to understand the attitudes and preferences of Stagetext’s core demographic and was targeted at deaf, deafened and hard of hearing people aged 18 and above, living in the UK.

Stagetext recently announced a three-year project to roll out captioning equipment to thirty-six theatres across the UK.
 

Stagetext’s Chief Executive, Melanie Sharpe commented on the recent findings:

“Deaf, deafened and hard of hearing people are resoundingly telling us that poor quality subtitles equals poor access and are a source of frustration for many users.

“What the research reveals is that quality is the most important thing for audiences and we encourage venues and organisations to consider this, when providing text-based deaf access. For some users, poor quality subtitles provide worse access than no subtitles at all.”

Nick Tedd, who is deaf and wears hearing aids, said:

“I rely on subtitles to help me better understand context and meaning, so it’s incredibly frustrating and exasperating when subtitles are slow, inconsistent or just inaccurate. When access is poor, it makes you feel very isolated and marginalised.”

The wider picture

These findings reflect a broader pattern in subtitle use across the UK. A separate research project conducted by Sapio on behalf of Stagetext in 2021 found that 67% of the public sometimes find it difficult to hear what is happening when watching TV or live performances. This suggests that the need for high-quality subtitles extends beyond those who are deaf, deafened or hard of hearing.

In another research project conducted by Stagetext in 2023, respondents were clear that subtitles had a positive impact on their experience, with 74% saying they made a positive difference and 35% of these said they made the experience a lot better.

Together with this body of research, it makes a compelling case that subtitles are widespread and growing in use, but their value depends on their quality. When done well, they make a real difference.

But as the headline findings of this research show, poor quality subtitles don’t just fall short, they can actively exclude the very people they are meant to serve.
 

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Further reading and resources

Stagetext’s Mission is to advocate for and deliver equal access to arts and culture for deaf, deafened and hard of hearing people. Set up in 2000, the arts and culture charity now helps provide more than a thousand captioned performances and live subtitled events across the UK every year: that’s on average three captioned or subtitled events for every day of the year. You can find out more on their website: www.stagetext.org (external link will open in a new browser tab or window)

On Independent Living:

We have an area with resources for helping with hearing impairment

Young, visually impaired audio describer

Hearing loss – how you can help

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