[CfP - Vol. 46, Special Issue 1]: Audio Description in Translation Studies: Quality, Training and Cross-Sector Dialogue

12-02-2026

Guest Editors: 

Lucía Pintado Gutierrez (Dublin City University) and Irene de Higes Andino (Universitat Jaume I)

Audio description (AD) has matured into a central practice of media access and multimodal translation, extending well beyond its origins in the realm of disability services (Romero-Fresco, 2019; Greco, 2018; Matamala & Orero, 2016). The academic study and professionalisation of AD now demands sustained attention to questions of quality—what it means, how it is assessed, and how students are trained to achieve it (Perego, 2022; Mazur & Chmiel, 2021; Greco, 2019).

Since AD is both a practice of media accessibility and a rich site for multimodal translation research (Wang & Daghigh, 2024; Fryer, 2018; Remael et al., 2018), it has become increasingly integrated into translation and accessibility curricula globally. AD occupies a unique position within audiovisual translation, and further studies on AD will help continue shaping knowledge and experience, providing meaningful insights that benefit training in this field while emphasising user-centred and proactive approaches (Greco & Romero Fresco, 2023; Arias-Badia et al., 2022; Szarkowska et al., 2016).

The question of quality—how it is conceptualised, taught, assessed, and aligned with industry standards—gains urgency. Prior scholarship has examined training methods, reception studies, and standards in professional settings (Yan & Luo, 2024; Mendoza Domínguez & Matamala, 2020; Fryer, 2019; Jankowska, 2019; Remael et al., 2015; Maszerowska et al., 2014; Snyder, 2008). Few works, such as that of Tuominen & Silvester (2025), explore the intersection of pedagogical practice, industry expectations, and cross-sector applications. This special issue aims at answering various questions related to: How do teachers in university settings and other training contexts operationalise quality in coursework? What models of criteria or assessment guide the evaluation of student-produced descriptions? How are new technologies (AI-based tools, speech synthesis, cloud platforms, 5G media distribution) reshaping the classroom experience and industry practices? How do collaborations between academia and AD providers inform curricula and professional readiness?

The strategic and social relevance of AD extends beyond pedagogy and professional practice, contributing to evidence-based approaches that promote accessibility, equality, and diversity. This aligns closely with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in particular SDG 4 (quality education) and SDG 10 (reduced inequalities), which emphasise inclusive access to education, culture, and participation in society. These principles are further reinforced by the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, advocating universal access to information, culture, and learning. By addressing these priorities, research in AD supports social, cultural, and economic development, and fosters more inclusive infrastructures for education, media, and cultural engagement.

This special issue aims to consolidate and expand current knowledge on training quality in AD across universities, dedicated training centres, and industry settings worldwide. It welcomes contributions that bridge theory and practice, engage with translation and accessibility pedagogy, and explore innovative approaches to evaluating AD quality in higher education, professional contexts, and cross-sector applications. This includes AD in broadcasting, streaming platforms, theatre, museums, education, and public service contexts.

Topics

The special issue foregrounds the dialogue between university-based AD education, industry practices, and broader sectoral applications. We invite contributions that examine this intersection from multiple angles:

  • Conceptual frameworks of “quality” in AD: especially how they can or should inform pedagogy, professional standards, and cross-sector practices.
  • Curriculum design: case studies and theoretical reflections on embedding AD across translation, audiovisual, media accessibility, and interdisciplinary programmes.
  • Assessment and evaluation: how student AD work is assessed; rubrics and quality assurance practices; peer review or instructor evaluation strategies; alignment with industry and sector-specific standards.
  • Technological impact: how tools (AI, speech synthesis, cloud platforms, 5G distribution) shift the demands of quality in classroom, professional, and cross-sector environments.
  • Partnerships and co-creation: collaborations between universities, AD providers, media companies, filmmakers, cultural institutions, and other sectors, and how these inform pedagogical and professional alignment.
  • Comparative and cross-linguistic studies: exploring how different linguistic, cultural, or institutional contexts approach AD quality, including international and European perspectives.
  • Teacher and learner perspectives: beliefs, attitudes, creativity, and constraints around standards and quality, across academic and industry settings.
  • Challenges and tensions: balancing prescriptive versus creative approaches, resource limitations, institutional constraints, evolving technology, and the integration of AD across diverse sectors.

By bringing together empirical, theoretical, and reflective contributions, this issue will trace ways to align teaching, assessment, industry practice, and sectoral applications in AD, and propose directions for future translator-training models that are responsive to evolving multimodal media landscapes across Europe and beyond, while promoting accessibility, equality, and diversity in alignment with international frameworks such as the SDGs and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Submission guidelines

To propose a paper for the special issue, first send an abstract to the guest editors: lucia.pintado@dcu.ie and dehiges@uji.es including:

  • Provisional title.
  • Authors' names, affiliations, e-mail, and Orcid.
  • Abstract (max. of 350 words, excluding references) containing information on the research topic, theoretical framework and methodology, as well as the justification and relevance of the research to the field of AVT and media accessibility.
  • Five keywords.
  • List of preliminary references (following APA 7th edition standards).

After the proposal is approved, authors must submit the full manuscript through the journal’s platform for peer review.

  • Submissions will be accepted in English.
  • Manuscripts should be up to 10,000 words, excluding bibliographical references.
  • Considering the referees’ reports, the guest editors will also read the accepted manuscripts and suggest improvements, if necessary.

Once the editorial decision is communicated, accepted manuscripts must be formatted according to the journal's template.

  • Final papers may be rejected if they do not follow the journal's template and APA 7th edition citation and referencing standards.

Timetable

Submission of abstracts: 16 March 2026 (guest editors’ e-mail)
Notification of abstract acceptance: 31 March 2026
Submission of full paper: 15 June 2026 (journal’s platform)
First feedback to paper: 31 July 2026
Submission of revised version of paper: 21 September 2026 (journal’s platform)
Second feedback to paper (if necessary): 2 October 2026
Submission of final version of paper: 15 October 2026 (journal’s platform; journal’s e-mail)
Publication of the special issue: November-December 2026

Contact information

For more information about the special issue, please contact the guest editors at lucia.pintado@dcu.ie and dehiges@uji.es.

[Extended] References

Arias-Badia, B., Bestard-Bou, J. J., & Hermosa-Ramírez, I. (2022). Designing, Making, and Validating Accessible Products and Services: An Updated Account of Users’ Perspectives. Journal of Audiovisual Translation, 5(2), 57–75. https://doi.org/10.47476/jat.v5i2.2022.229

Fryer, L. (2018). The independent audio describer is dead: Long live audio description! Journal of Audiovisual Translation, 1(1), 170–186. https://doi.org/10.47476/jat.v1i1.52

Fryer, L. (2019). Quality and training in audio description: lessons learned from interpreting. In E. Huertas-Barros, S. Vandepitte & E. Iglesias-Fernández (Eds.), Quality Assurance and Assessment Practices in Translation and Interpreting (pp. 155-177). IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-5225-5225-3.ch007

Greco, G. M. (2018). The nature of accessibility studies. Journal of Audiovisual Translation, 1(1), 205–232. https://doi.org/10.47476/jat.v1i1.51

Greco, G. M. (2019). Towards a pedagogy of accessibility: The need for critical learning spaces in media accessibility education and training. Linguistica Antverpiensia, 18, 23–46. https://doi.org/10.52034/lanstts.v18i0.518

Greco, G. M., & Romero-Fresco, P. (2023). Universalist, user-centred and proactive approaches in media accessibility: The way forward. The Journal of Specialised Translation, 39, 3–10. https://doi.org/10.26034/cm.jostrans.2023.063

Jankowska, A. (2019). Training future describers: A practice report from an audio description classroom. Linguistica Antverpiensia, 18, 197–215. https://doi.org/10.52034/lanstts.v18i0.517

Maszerowska, A., Matamala, A. & Orero, P. (Eds.). (2014). Audio description: New perspectives illustrated. John Benjamins. https://doi.org/10.1075/btl.112

Matamala, A., & Orero, P. (2016). Audio description and accessibility studies: A work in progress. In A. Matamala & P. Orero (Eds.), Researching audio description: New approaches (pp. 1–8). Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-56917-2_1

Mazur, I., & Chmiel, A. (2021). Audio description training: A snapshot of the current practices. The Interpreter and Translator Trainer, 15(1), 51–65. https://doi.org/qrcg

Mendoza Domínguez, N., & Matamala, A. (2020). Audio description training in Spain: a survey-based overview of teaching practices. MonTi, 11, 155–185. https://doi.org/10.6035/MonTI.2019.11.6

Perego, E. (2022). The audio description professional: A sociological overview and new training perspectives. In C. Taylor & E. Perego (Eds.), The Routledge handbook of audio description (pp. 137–151). Routledge.

Remael, A., Reviers, N., & Vandekerckhove, R. (2018). From translation studies and audiovisual translation to media accessibility: Some research trends. In Y. Gambier & S. Ramos Pinto (Eds.), Audiovisual translation: Theoretical and methodological challenges (pp. 65–78). John Benjamins. https://doi.org/10.1075/bct.95.06rem

Remael, A., Reviers, N., & Vercauteren, G. (Eds.). (2015). Pictures painted in words: ADLAB audio description guidelines. EUT Edizioni Università di Trieste.

Romero-Fresco, P. (2019). Accessible filmmaking: Integrating translation and accessibility into the filmmaking process. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429053771

Snyder, J. (2008). Audio description: The visual made verbal. In J. Díaz-Cintas (Ed.), The didactics of audiovisual translation (pp. 191–198). John Benjamins. https://doi.org/10.1075/btl.77.18sny

Szarkowska, A., Jankowska, A., Krejtz, K., Kowalski, J. (2016). Open Art: Designing Accessible Content in a Multimedia Guide App for Visitors with and without Sensory Impairments. In: Matamala, A., Orero, P. (Eds.), Researching Audio Description. Palgrave Studies in Translating and Interpreting (pp. 301–320). Palgrave Macmillan.

Tuominen, T., & Silvester, H. (2025). Investigating academic-practitioner collaboration in Audiovisual Translation Studies. The Translator, 31(2), 197–213. https://doi.org/qrcf

Wang, Y., & Daghigh, A. J. (2024). Two Decades of Audiovisual Translation Studies: A Bibliometric Literature Review. Sage Open, 14(3). https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440241274575

Yan, J. X., & Luo, K. (2024). Assessment criteria in audio describer training: An investigation of learner perceptions in a university interpreting programme in Hong Kong. In Z. Cheng & R. Moratto (Eds.), Audio description and interpreting studies: Interdisciplinary crossroads (pp. 77–95). Routledge.