Event description
VIAVA - Voices for Inclusion, Accessibility and Visual/Verbal Mediation / LAB – LABoratory for Applied Phraseology is an applied research project led by interpreters and interpreter trainers focusing on the role of communication and interpreting, in both spoken and signed languages, in the support and assistance provided to victims of sexual harassment and sexual violence.
VIAVA-LAB seeks to examine how interpreting, linguistic mediation, and the pragmatic management of interaction shape the construction, transmission, and reception of victims’ narratives. From this perspective, the project advocates for professional interpreting that, while maintaining impartiality, remains aware of the cultural, discursive, and relational factors involved in communication with victims, thereby contributing to more accessible, comprehensible, and person-centred support.
This reflection is further extended to the design of linguistic tools and accessibility resources intended for medical personnel and other professionals involved in supporting victims of sexual violence—including social workers, psychologists, legal practitioners, law enforcement officers, and interpreters—in order to facilitate communication that is clear, inclusive, multilingual, and sensitive to victims’ vulnerability.
Within this framework, the VIAVA LAB International Conference invites submissions addressing translation, interpreting, multilingual and signed communication, and support in access to justice and comprehensive assistance for victims of sexual violence.
Submit your proposal by 1 September 2026.
Conference Languages: Spanish and English.
Sign language interpreting will be provided throughout the conference.