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SDH & Accessibility Subtitling

Subtitles for deaf and hard of hearing viewers — broadcast-quality SDH compliant with Netflix style guide standards and the EU Accessibility Act

SDH (Subtitles for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing) is not standard subtitling with sound effects added. It is a distinct craft that requires understanding of how deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers process on-screen text, how to convey auditory information visually, and how to comply with the technical and editorial standards that broadcasters and streaming platforms require.

Orion Translations provides professional SDH subtitling from Barcelona for broadcasters, streaming platforms, production companies, and distributors preparing content for accessibility compliance.

What SDH Subtitling Includes

  • Dialogue identification — speaker labels when the speaker is off-screen or not visually identifiable
  • Sound effect descriptions — environmental sounds, music cues, and off-screen audio relevant to the narrative
  • Music identification — song titles, lyrics where relevant, and descriptions of musical tone or mood
  • Reading speed compliance — text display timed to allow comfortable reading without missing visual content
  • Line break and positioning — compliant with platform-specific style guides for readability
  • Encoding — UTF-8, correct character sets, and file format compliance (SRT, VTT, TTML, EBU-STL)

Netflix Style Guide Compliance

Orion Translations has experience delivering SDH subtitles compliant with the Netflix Timed Text Style Guide, including:

  • Maximum reading speed rules per language
  • Character-per-line limits
  • Dash-space conventions for dialogue attribution
  • Italics usage for off-screen speech and narration
  • Sound description formatting standards

EU Accessibility Act

The European Accessibility Act (Directive 2019/882) establishes accessibility requirements for audiovisual media services. Enforcement timelines are creating regulatory-driven demand for SDH subtitling across EU member states. Broadcasters and streaming platforms operating in the EU need to ensure their content catalogues meet these requirements.

Orion Translations helps content owners prepare their libraries for compliance, providing SDH subtitling in Spanish, English, and other European languages to meet national implementation standards.

Delivery Formats

We deliver in all major subtitle formats:

  • SRT — SubRip, widely compatible
  • VTT — WebVTT for web delivery
  • TTML — Timed Text Markup Language for broadcast and streaming platforms
  • EBU-STL — European Broadcasting Union format for broadcast

Connected Services

Request a quote: Spain: +34 932 204 590 | UK: +44 203 885 0793 | US: +1 213 459 5446