Showcasting web accessibility and localisation training: the example of culture and heritage websites

Abstract

Web accessibility has only recently begun to be considered as a key component in the task of the web localiser and, crucially, in the assessment of localisation quality. The ALMA research project (Approaching Localisation by Means of Accessibility) seeks to address this gap by gradually but comprehensively introducing accessibility awareness, issues and perspectives in the principles and procedures of localisation. One of the approaches of ALMA focuses on localiser education and aims at both integrating web accessibility as content to be transferred in the process of localisation and as a methodological way of rethinking website analysis and interlingual, intercultural, intersemiotic transformation. This would allow localisation students to observe the interrelation between the different semiotic, temporal, spatial or ergodic elements coded in the product, with the aim of being perceived, understood and operated by users through different modalities, senses, capacities and technologies. In this chapter, the specific example of culture and heritage websites is used to illustrate how the social and technological dimensions of multimodal translation, localisation and accessibility converge. By exploring the interrelation of web accessibility, localiser education, Universal Design for Learning, and culture and heritage websites, we conclude that such combination can provide a critical opportunity to enhance accessibility and learning at various levels: as an outcome of localisation training (more accessible multilingual culture and heritage websites), as a motivational driver for all students to access and be engaged in education, as an accessibility-aware mindset and methodology (better and deeper access to training materials), as well as an excellent interdisciplinary tool.