Tele-Quebec : LSQ Accessibility for Educational Broadcasting

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The Context

Télé-Québec is Quebec’s public television network, founded in 1968 and owned by the provincial government. Its mission is to foster a love of learning, promote artistic and cultural life, and reflect the diversity of Quebec society.

In the spring of 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic forced school closures across the province. Télé-Québec partnered with the Quebec government to launch the platform enclasse.telequebec.tv, bringing together over 1,000 educational resources to help students maintain their learning during school closures.

The Issue

It was in this context of educational emergency that the need for LSQ accessibility became painfully clear: Deaf and hard of hearing children had no access to any educational content in their first language.

The Mandate

Thanks to the vision of key advocates within the MEES and the financial support of the OPHQ, Eversa received the mandate to translate three Télé-Québec en classe TV programs into LSQ, a total of 150 episodes, marking a historic milestone for the Deaf community in Quebec.

TV programs that had to be translated into LSQ (available in French & LSQ only):

The Solution

Eversa assembled a multidisciplinary team of French-LSQ translators, Deaf on-screen signers, LSQ directors, technicians, and a dedicated video editor. Filming took place under strict pandemic protocols, reduced crews, a second studio, and rigorous distancing. The entire project was coordinated by our team.

The Results

For the first time, 150 episodes of Télé-Québec en classe were made accessible in LSQ for Deaf and hard of hearing children and teenagers across the province. They could continue learning from home in their first language.

With 5000+ views within the first month, the project contributed to the promotion of Quebec’s cultural heritage and set a new benchmark for LSQ content production in the province.