Vertalers en tolken met visuele beperking. Specifieke problemen en mogelijke oplossingen

Visually impaired translators and interpreters have to cope with various specific problems in their work. The progress of modern technology has simplified access to information sources for them, but has in contrast created new barriers, which make their position on the market with translation and interpretation services more complicated. My master’s thesis analysed the problems of visually impaired translators and interpreters, especially on the basis of their own experience. I drew up a questionnaire, which was filled in by blind and partially sighted translators and interpreters from throughout the world. I would like to introduce the results of my research in this article. I would additionally like to map out the situation in the Dutch language area and compare it to the global outcomes. I found several visually impaired translators and interpreters from the Netherlands and Flanders and asked them to fill in an extended questionnaire. The number of respondents was not high enough to draw general conclusions, but it was nevertheless possible to observe certain parallels or differences.

1. Craciunescu, Olivia (2004). "Machine Translation and Computer-Assisted Translation: a New Way of Translating?", in: Translation Journal, nr. 8. URL: http://translationjournal.net/journal/29computers.htm [25-03-2017].

2. Dolt, Daniela (2015). Die Notizentechnik blinder Dolmetscherinnen beim Konsekutivdolmetschen (masterscriptie). Graz: Karl-Franzens-Universität.

3. Figiel, Wojtech (2009). Note-taking in consecutive interpreting for the blind (masterscriptie). Warschau: Universiteit van Warschau.

4. Hagemann, Susanne (2016). "Teaching Translation to Mixed Groups of Blind and Sighted Students", in: The Journal of Translator Education and Translation Studies, nr 1,

5. Homola, Michal (2017). Taaltechnologieën en hulpmiddelen voor blinde/slechtziende vertalers en tolken. Bratislava: Univerzita Komenského v Bratislave.

6. Jones, Roderick (2002). Conference Interpreting Explained. Manchester: St. Jerome Publishing.

7. Mendelová, Elena (2013). Vzdelávanie nevidiacich s použitím moderných technológií. Bratislava: Centrum podpory študentov so špecifickými potrebami.

8. Rodríguez Vázquez, Silvia & Fiorenza Mileto (2016). "On the Lookout for Accessible Translation Aids: Current Scenario And New Horizons for Blind Translation Students and Professionals", in: The Journal of Translator Education and Translation Studies, nr. 2.