Transadapting Culture-Bound Restaurant Menus for Vision Impaired Users

In this applied research thesis special attention is dedicated to understanding what makes menus inaccessible (or accessible) to foreign users (in this case non-Arabic speakers), particularly given the culture-bound elements that menus contain when presenting local dishes and ingredients, for which terms may be used that are quite unique and untranslatable. If to access cultural references we are to add the need to provide access for all, in light of personal differences, such as disability, then translating a printed menu, for instance, will require extra care. In a practical case study, I address two mainstream fast food chains, McDonald’s, an international Western restaurant, and Zaatar W Zeit, an Arabic franchising, with a significant implantation in Qatar which is gradually gaining visibility beyond the Arab context, to see how these two restaurants deal with advertising their food products in different modalities and formats. I then focus on Zaatar W Zeit’s printed menu, to propose a version that will become more accessible to both non-Arabic users and those who may have vision impairment. This is done through a process of transadaptation, within the approach proposed by Inclusive Design, in which people are given the opportunity to choose the solutions that suit them best. Through this case study, I conclude that there are useful methods by which any culture-bound printed material can be made accessible in a broader sense, in terms of form (such as font, color, contrast…), and content (such as applying explicitation techniques) to allow persons with and without disabilities to feel equally catered for.