People with visual or hearing impairments need subtitling, sign language and audio description to follow programmes. We offer people in Switzerland with sensory disabilities a wide choice of programmes in prime time and at weekends. This includes the main news items on the “Tagesschau” on SRF, RTS and RSI in sign language, as well as the “Kassensturz” (SRF) and “A bon entendeur” (RTS) programmes. Around 80 percent of television programmes are subtitled. A large proportion of the programmes available to stream on the Internet also have subtitles.

To the TV programme

How subtitles are created

For decades, we have been subtitling for SRF, RTS, RSI and RTR TV programmes in the national languages of Switzerland. Our respeakers provide live subtitling at the regional sites of the studios at broadcasting times.

Around 85% of all SRG TV broadcasts are subtitled. Production and distribution of subtitles is a demanding task. Respeaking is a form of simultaneous interpreting. Respeakers listen to what is being said and dictate the content into a microphone. Voice recognition software generates a written text from this, which is then transmitted “on air” as subtitles as quickly as possible.

Automation is on the rise, and artificial intelligence supports us in many steps. However, for Swiss German and for quality assurance purposes, we still use human post-correction, as before.

For details on how subtitles are made, see the videos.

“Hello SRF”: Programme on live subtitling broadcast on 13/10/2017

Nicoletta Siegrist explains live subtitling at RSI

For Swiss Television (SRF, RTS, RSI), we translate videos into sign language in high studio quality. In all of Switzerland’s sign languages (DSGS, LSF, LIS).

As part of this, we work with professional sign language interpreters. As a rule, these are qualified hearing-impaired interpreters who work in their mother tongue: sign language. This allows us to ensure high-quality translations.

Some examples of sign-language productions in studio quality

• « MITENAND » (SRF)

• « ENSEMBLE » (RTS)

• « INSIEME » (RSI)

• SRF Kids News

• “I bi da für di” Say Hi song: Together against bullying

• “Mier flüged los” Say Hi song: Together against bullying

Audio description refers to preparing films for the visually impaired. Also known as an audio-described film, audio description with a narrative voice provides descriptions for partially sighted or blind people.

Audio description is a time-consuming process and involves several steps: Specialised authors write a script first, which is then read out by speakers. Lastly, the recordings are integrated into the film.

We specialise in audio description for all of our national languages (German, Swiss German, French, Italian), as well as English.

New: Football games are audio described live on SRF. In collaboration with the association Blind Power, we have made it possible for the visually-impaired public to hear and experience a football match. Live commentary describes what’s happening on the pitch, the shirts, the players, and any other relevant details. Our audio description commentators are equipped with laptops and microphones and can describe the action from the comfort of their own homes.

The relevant matches are designated in the TV listings on srf.ch with the letters “AD”.

A cultural asset for blind people

Live audio description

Thanks to SWISS TXT and the association Blind Power, football matches on SRF will have live audio descriptive commentary for the first time.

Read the full news article.

SWISS TXT makes content accessible for the hard of hearing, for the visually impaired, for television, for politics, for events.

Do you want to know more about our services? Do you have any questions? We are happy to help you – free of obligation. Please share your contact details and we will contact you.