Subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing (SDH) contain not only dialogue, but also
the description of all the sounds necessary to understand the meaning of an audiovisual
programme. In Poland SDH have been available since 1994 on two major channels
of the public television TVP (accessible via teletext, page 777). SDH are also available
on DVDs released by TVP. Recently other commercial distributors have joined
in. Initially, TVP made only pre-recorded SDH (with inserted time-codes), which were
broadcast automatically. Since 2003 TVP has been broadcasting semi-live subtitles for
its two news programmes every day.
Viewers with hearing impairments do not comprise a uniform group. There are
those whose fi rst language is Polish Sign Language; those who lost hearing after having
acquired Polish as their mother tongue; and those who are hard of hearing, mainly the
aged. Each of these groups has different language competences and different expectations
concerning SDH. Thus, preparing SDH that would satisfy the expectations of all the viewers seems
to be an impossible task. It is up to researchers to answer why some hearing impaired
viewers are not completely satisfi ed with SDH, or to what degree viewers are able to
follow and comprehend the content of subtitled audiovisual materials. We, the practitioners,
face other challenges. The fact that public broadcasters may soon be legally
obliged to have all their programmes subtitled means not only an increase in the volume
of subtitles produced, but also a greater variety of genres and the need to re-defi ne SDH
standards.

Subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing (SDH) contain not only dialogue, but also
the description of all the sounds necessary to understand the meaning of an audiovisual
programme. In Poland SDH have been available since 1994 on two major channels
of the public television TVP (accessible via teletext, page 777). SDH are also available
on DVDs released by TVP. Recently other commercial distributors have joined
in. Initially, TVP made only pre-recorded SDH (with inserted time-codes), which were
broadcast automatically. Since 2003 TVP has been broadcasting semi-live subtitles for
its two news programmes every day.
Viewers with hearing impairments do not comprise a uniform group. There are
those whose fi rst language is Polish Sign Language; those who lost hearing after having
acquired Polish as their mother tongue; and those who are hard of hearing, mainly the
aged. Each of these groups has different language competences and different expectations
concerning SDH. Thus, preparing SDH that would satisfy the expectations of all the viewers seems
to be an impossible task. It is up to researchers to answer why some hearing impaired
viewers are not completely satisfi ed with SDH, or to what degree viewers are able to
follow and comprehend the content of subtitled audiovisual materials. We, the practitioners,
face other challenges. The fact that public broadcasters may soon be legally
obliged to have all their programmes subtitled means not only an increase in the volume
of subtitles produced, but also a greater variety of genres and the need to re-defi ne SDH
standards.