Accessibility Enhanced Content Creation

A system for creating accessibility enhanced content includes processing hardware and a memory storing software code. The processing hardware is configured to execute the software code to receive primary content, execute at least one of a visual analysis or an audio analysis of the primary content, and generate, based on the visual analysis, the audio analysis, or both, an accessibility track. The accessibility track includes at least one of a sign language performance, one or more video tokens to be played back when the primary content reaches a location corresponding to the video token(s), or one or more haptic effects to be actuated when the primary content reaches a location corresponding to the haptic effect(s). The processing hardware is further configured to execute the software code to synchronize the accessibility track to the primary content, and supplement the primary content with the accessibility track to provide the accessibility enhanced content.

BACKGROUND

A variety of accessibility features, such as vision compensation, hearing assistance, and neurodiversity tools, for example, can greatly improve the experience of interacting with media content for persons experiencing disabilities. As a specific example, members of the deaf and hearing impaired communities often rely on any of a number of signed languages for communication via hand signals. Although effective in translating the plain meaning of a communication, hand signals alone typically do not fully capture the emphasis or emotional intensity motivating that communication. Accordingly, skilled human sign language translators tend to employ multiple physical modes when communicating information. Those modes may include gestures other than hand signals, postures, and facial expressions, as well as the speed and force with which such expressive movements are executed.

For a human sign language translator, identification of the appropriate emotional intensity and emphasis to include in a signing performance may be largely intuitive, based on cognitive skills honed unconsciously as the understanding of spoken language is learned and refined through childhood and beyond. However, the exclusive reliance on human sign language translation can be expensive, and in some use cases may be inconvenient or even impracticable, while analogous challenges to the provision of vision compensated and neurodiversity sensitive content exist. Consequently, there is a ne