Resumen de Breaking Down Sensory Barriers: Opera Accessibility for Audiences with Differing Visual and Hearing Ability
n the multicultural world of today, as boundaries continue to merge and evolve, issues of accessibility and translation are brought to the forefront of political and social debate. Whilst considerable progress has already been achieved in this domain, the international social and legal recognition of the human right of accessibility to the media andarts demands further advancement in the development of facilities to provide universal access to various art forms including theatre, cinema, and opera. This paper explores these developments within the field of opera accessibility, focusing on the translation methods currently employed in the UK to break down sensory barriers for both the blind and partially-sighted and the deaf and hard-of-hearing. The investigation concentrates on the audience’s perspective, with reference to data collected in an audience reception pilot project carried out in collaboration with the British opera company, OperaNorth, at performances of Bizet’s Carmen. The research design of this study is examined, and through analysis of initial results, assessments are made on the subject of audience response to current opera translation modalities including audio description, touch tours, surtitles and sign interpreting. The shifting boundaries in the definition of translation and accessibility are also investigated and questions are raised regarding the potential inevitability of separate provisions for audiences with differing visual and hearing ability, thus creating borders.
