Accessibility involves identifying and removing barriers that may prevent people from accessing information, communicating effectively or using services. Different barriers call for different responses, including language barriers.
Translation and interpreting help tackle language barriers by making written, spoken and signed communication available in as many languages as possible. This can include multilingual websites and, for audiovisual content, subtitling and dubbing.
Public service interpreting and public service translation specifically help people overcome language barriers when accessing or communicating with public services such as healthcare services, the police or the courts.
Plain language, easy-to-understand content and other accessibility measures help people with different needs, including with understanding, reading or sensory access. Examples include clear meaningful descriptions of images on websites and accessibility features for audiovisual content, such as captions for deaf and hard-of-hearing users.
More broadly, multilingual communication, translation and interpreting support democratic participation and strengthen the legitimacy a multilingual EU by enabling everyone to take part in their own language.