Quality Assessment of Creating Interlingual Pre-Recorded Subtitles for the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing (SDH): The LOT Model

There is a lack of quality assessment models designed specifically for interlingual pre-recorded subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing (SDH), as existing models focus primarily on live subtitling and intralingual respeaking, highlighting the need to address the diverse linguistic, visual, and technical quality expectations of SDH viewers. This study aims to develop and validate a quality assessment model explicitly tailored for interlingual pre-recorded SDH by proposing the Linguistic, Orthotypographic, and Technical (LOT) model and empirically testing it against established assessment frameworks using a sample of 900 Arabic-English subtitles across diverse genres through quantitative comparative analysis examining intercoder reliability, average quality scores, and correlations between models. The findings demonstrate that the specialized LOT model designed for pre-recorded SDH yields markedly higher intercoder reliability and average quality scores compared to general subtitle assessment models, suggesting strong alignment with the multidimensional quality needs of the target SDH audience; the development and validation of this model represents a pivotal advancement toward comprehensive quality evaluation tailored to interlingual pre-recorded SDH, where adoption in professional subtitling and training practices may enhance accessibility, inclusion, and overall viewing experience for deaf and hard-of-hearing media consumers.