I’ve never heard about it...! Speech-to-text interpreting in Italy and Austria: a comparative analysis

Speech-to-text interpreting (STTI) is increasingly gaining traction as an effective ser
vice to ensure access to communication for people encountering a hearing barrier.
Significant developments in offering this service and training professionals have been
made in the Scandinavian and English-speaking countries for more than three dec
ades; the German-speaking countries, Germany and Austria, following in the early
and late 2000s. In other countries, such as Italy, however, this service still remains
relatively unknown and therefore is not used to its full potential. This paper proposes
a comparative analysis of the professionalisation status in terms of awareness, use
and spread of STTI in Italy and Austria, with the aim of highlighting the gaps in the
Italian context and providing a possible model to address them. To explore this topic, the paper also briefly addresses a closely related issue, namely accessible communication, which is often neglected in Italy. Furthermore, a theoretical overview of the main features and functioning of STTI is provided. This article emphasises the need to make progress in Italy with regard to accessible communication and, in particular, the need to recognise STTI as a service capable of significantly improving the quality
of life for a substantial segment of Italian society.