By Creative Industries Cluster of Vojvodina

The project “Hands-on Stories: Diversity Narratives in Accessible Storytelling”, implemented by the Creative Industries Cluster of Vojvodina, represents a significant step forward in creating media content that is fundamentally and universally inclusive. The result of this initiative is a unique TV series of seven episodes that breaks down the barriers between children with hearing impairments and their peers.

This format is a distinctive example of inclusive design, where accessibility is woven into the artistic form itself. Through its creative solutions, this media content meets the international WCAG 2.2 (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) standards for video accessibility at the AA level. Furthermore, through its model for eliminating divided attention by designing for the full integration of sign language, it sets new boundaries aligned with the spirit of the AAA standard category, making the content equally entertaining and understandable for all children.

A Creative Model of Visual Storytelling That Eliminates the Split-Attention Effect

The greatest challenge for children who use sign language is the “split-attention effect.” In traditional audiovisual formats, a child must simultaneously follow the on-screen action and a small inset screen in the corner showing a sign language interpreter.

Through the application of design solutions, this problem has been overcome and maximum accessibility achieved:

• Full integration: Inclusive language is an integral part of the frame, where hand movements become inseparable from speech, creating an organic whole that every child can follow with equal focus.
• Bilingual characters: Each of the 25 puppet characters speaks two languages simultaneously—spoken language and sign language.
• Synchronization: Hand movements and spoken words are unified into a single artistic and communicative form, ensuring that technical standards follow the child’s natural cognitive processes.

More Than a Project – A Production Bible for Accessibility in Multiple Languages

During the creation of the original Serbian-language version of the episodes, an adaptation process into the Hungarian language was carried out in parallel. This enabled the development of a “Production Bible”—a tested, comprehensive master guide that allows this innovative model to be applied to any language worldwide.

Series Details

• 7 episodes, each 8 minutes long
• Available versions: Serbian and Hungarian, with integrated sign language
• Shared viewing experience: Media content designed for children to watch together, without the need for separation into special groups

Premiere on Public Broadcaster

In mid-May, the inclusive TV series will premiere on the public media service Radio and Television of Vojvodina:

• RTV 1 – Serbian-language version
• RTV 2 – Hungarian-language version

Promo and Making-of Video
  This content was produced with the support of Innovation. Media. Minds. – EU Support to Public Service Journalism in the Western Balkans, implemented by the Goethe-Institut on behalf of the European Commission, in cooperation with DW Akademie. The contents of the episodes are the sole responsibility of Creative Industries Cluster of Vojvodina and does not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.