CESyA (Centro Español del Subtitulado y la Audiodescripción)

What CESyA (Centro Español del Subtitulado y la Audiodescripción) does

CESyA (Centro Español del Subtitulado y la Audiodescripción) is a public technical reference center established in 2005 and headquartered at the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid campus in Leganés, Madrid. It operates as an advisory body under the Real Patronato sobre Discapacidad, part of Spain's Ministry of Rights Social, Consumption and Agenda 2030, and was formally designated as the state technical reference center for audiovisual accessibility by Law 13/2022, General de Comunicación Audiovisual. Its mission is to promote accessibility to audiovisual and digital environments for people with sensory disabilities through subtitling, audiodescription and sign-language services, with end-user services provided free of charge.

CESyA's product portfolio centers on SAVAT, a patented (OEPM P201231596) automated 24/7 monitoring system that verifies subtitling and audiodescription compliance across all national DTT multiplexes and publishes monthly and annual compliance reports under Spain's General Audiovisual Communication Law. Complementary tools include PAcA (a real-time accessible-TV programming guide), Access2Class (a classroom accessibility prototype combining subtitling, audiodescription and sign language), Access2Citizen (a multi-disability-profile emergency-services app prototype for 112), and Mercurio-HG and AccEvent (live-event captioning and scripted-audio delivery tools). The center also produces accessibility guides, runs training and a MOOC, and maintains a directory of 19 evaluated subtitling companies and 2 audiodescription companies.

CESyA operates as a non-profit public institution: it charges no fees to end users and generates no commercial revenue. Operating capital comes from ministry budget allocations via the Real Patronato sobre Discapacidad, and from European funds (notably ~€950,000 in EU Next Generation PRTR financing routed through UC3M for the Access2Class and Access2Citizen projects). Its customer-facing relationships are institutional rather than transactional — spanning national DTT broadcasters, state museums, public administrations, the educational community (~245,983 students with disabilities in Spain, 2021-2022), and disability associations including CERMI, CNSE, FIAPAS, ONCE/FOAPS and AICE. The team is small (8 stated employees) and comprises UC3M researchers, R&D+i staff, culture and communications personnel, and contributors with lived disability experience.

Name

CESyA (Centro Español del Subtitulado y la Audiodescripción)

Legal name

Centro Español del Subtitulado y la Audiodescripción (CESyA)

Website

https://cesya.es

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

CESyA is Spain's state technical reference center for audiovisual accessibility, operating under the Real Patronato sobre Discapacidad and managed by Universidad Carlos III de Madrid. It provides free subtitling, audiodescription and accessibility-monitoring services — most notably the SAVAT automated TDT compliance tool — to people with sensory disabilities, broadcasters, public administrations, museums and the educational community.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Audiovisual Accessibility Services

NAICS

Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Special Education & Accessibility-Optimized Media (UDL, AAC, Captioning) (EDAGALAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Accessibility, Universal Design for Learning (UDL) & Inclusive Content Services (EDAGAKAJ)

Keywords

• Audiovisual accessibility services
• Subtitling and audiodescription
• Accessibility compliance monitoring
• Accessible media research
• Disability accessibility consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Leganés

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Public Institutional Funding: CESyA is a center dependent on the Real Patronato sobre Discapacidad (Ministry of Rights Social, Consumption and Agenda 2030), managed by Universidad Carlos III de Madrid. It operates as a non-profit public service entity. Funding comes from government budgets, European funds (Next Generation EU/PRTR), and institutional grants. Services to end users are free.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

CESyA is a public technical reference center that develops software, conducts research, and delivers consultancy on audiovisual accessibility — specifically subtitling for deaf and hard-of-hearing people and audiodescription for blind and visually impaired people. It operates SAVAT, an automated 24/7 monitoring system that audits Spanish DTT broadcasters for regulatory compliance, and delivers training, audits, and accessibility guides to broadcasters, public administrations, museums, and educational institutions across Spain. All services are provided free of charge to end users under public institutional funding.

Product overview

CESyA operates as a research and advisory center managing multiple interconnected products and services focused on audiovisual accessibility. The core portfolio includes SAVAT (automated TDT monitoring for subtitling/audiodescription compliance), PAcA (real-time accessible TV programming guide), Access2Class (classroom accessibility platform), and Access2Citizen (accessible emergency app). Supporting services include consultancy, training courses (including MOOC), and a library of accessibility guides. These products work together to serve people with disabilities across TV, education, emergency services, and public administration domains.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SAVAT: Sistema Automático de Verificación de la Accesibilidad en la TDT - Software for automatic monitoring of subtitling and audiodescription on DTT channels.
• Access2Class
• Access2Citizen
• PAcA (Programación Accesible Actualizada)

Products and services

• SAVAT (Sistema Automático de Verificación de la Accesibilidad en la TDT) Automatic monitoring software that verifies subtitling and audiodescription accessibility services across all national Spanish DTT channels 24 hours a day, generating 12 monthly compliance reports and 1 annual global report on broadcaster compliance with the General Audiovisual Communication Law.
• PAcA (Programación Accesible Actualizada) Web-based TV guide identifying programs on DTT channels with accessibility services (subtitling for deaf/hard-of-hearing, sign language, and audiodescription for blind/visually impaired). Provides real-time programming information with verification powered by the SAVAT system, freely accessible to the public.
• Access2Class Prototype platform providing simultaneous accessibility services (subtitling, audiodescription, audioexplanation, sign language) in classroom settings for students with disabilities. Includes easy-to-use guides for educators to create accessible materials.
• Access2Citizen Prototype mobile app for accessible emergency communications (112), supporting multiple disability profiles (blindness, deafness, deafblindness, low vision, intellectual/developmental, over-65) and communication channels (phone, text chat, Spanish Sign Language, lip reading, easy reading). Provides a model architecture for public administrations to develop accessible emergency apps.
• Mercurio-HG Software enabling automatic transcription of speeches or concerts, converting audio into subtitle lines for projection on screens and devices, providing accessibility at live events for deaf or hard-of-hearing people.
• AccEvent Tool enabling the launch of scripted subtitles and pre-recorded audiodescriptions at all types of events including concerts, shows, theater, galas, ceremonies, and events.
• Consultoría y Asesoría Técnica (Technical Consultancy and Advisory) Technical consultancy for subtitling and audiodescription quality assurance, including audits, technical sessions, and participation in specialized committees for television chains, museums, public administration bodies, disability associations, educational institutions, audiovisual producers, technology companies, and event agencies.
• Formación y Capacitación (Training and Capacity Building) Training programs including the MOOC on audiovisual accessibility (since 2024) and specialized courses on accessible content creation for professionals, in collaboration with public institutions and professional associations.

Quantifiable outcome

• 245,983 students with disabilities in Spain benefit from accessible education tools and materials produced by CESyA
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability4 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2005UC3M is the managing entity of CESyA, providing academic research infrastructure, staff (professors, researchers, IT personnel), and institutional hosting. The university's research groups in computer science, electronics, and related fields collaborate directly on all CESyA research projects including SAVAT, Access2Class, and Access2Citizen. UC3M received approximately €950,000 in EU Next Generation funding for CESyA-managed research projects.
• Real Patronato sobre DiscapacidadcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Real Patronato sobre Discapacidad (under the Ministry of Rights Social, Consumption and Agenda 2030) is the parent institution of CESyA. It provides institutional authority, public funding, and regulatory mandate. CESyA is one of several advisory centers under the Real Patronato. The patronato co-owns the SAVAT patent with UC3M.
• Comité Español de Representantes de Personas con Discapacidad (CERMI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCERMI collaborates with CESyA in the multidisciplinary project to favor accessibility in audiovisual media. It provides disability community representation, user needs input, and co-design of accessibility solutions. CESyA works with CERMI and its member organizations for research, user testing, and policy development.
• APTENTminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAPTENT is a subtitling and accessibility company listed on CESyA's directory. It collaborated with CESyA researchers in the authorship of six 'Guías para la Elaboración de Materiales Educativos Accesibles' guides published in 2024.
• Confederación Estatal de Personas Sordas (CNSE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCNSE participated in Access2Citizen project focus groups and co-design sessions. Provided expertise on communication needs of deaf people who use Spanish Sign Language as primary communication channel. Contributed requirements for accessible emergency app development.
• Confederación Española de Familias de Personas con Discapacidad Auditiva (FIAPAS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFIAPAS contributed user research for Access2Citizen, providing insights from people with hearing disabilities who use oral communication. Participated in focus groups and requirements gathering for accessible emergency apps.
• Federación de Asociaciones de Implantados Cocleares de España (AICE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAICE participated in Access2Citizen focus groups in Barcelona (December 2022), providing requirements from cochlear implant users. Shared insights on communication preferences and emergency app needs.
• ONCE - Organización Nacional de Ciegos Españoles / FOAPScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerONCE and its Foundation FOAPS (for deafblind people) participated in Access2Citizen user research and co-design. Provided requirements from people with visual impairments and deafblindness for accessible emergency communication apps.
• Fundación AMÁSminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFundación AMÁS participated in Access2Citizen focus groups, providing input from people with cognitive disabilities and elderly users (76-88 years old) on accessible emergency app design.
• Ministerio de Derechos Sociales, Consumo y Agenda 2030coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Ministry is the parent ministry of the Real Patronato sobre Discapacidad, which is the parent institution of CESyA. It provides government funding and policy framework. Through the Ministry, the government launched the European Accessibility Law (Law 11/2023) and has funded Access2Citizen and other accessibility initiatives.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Verbit: AI-driven transcription and captioning platform serving media, education, and legal markets. Comparable to CESyA's speech-to-text pipeline (Mercurio-HG) and to Access2Class in education, with similar underlying AI accessibility capability but a commercial model.

Regional players

• Iberaccess: Spain/Portugal-focused accessibility and digital inclusion consultancy. Adjacent regional peer to CESyA in the Iberian market, overlapping on web accessibility, training, and disability-sector consulting services.
• Fundación CNSE: Spanish foundation of the deaf community confederation (CNSE). Adjacent to CESyA as a sign-language and accessibility advocacy body in Spain; overlapping stakeholder base and co-design partnership with CESyA on Access2Citizen.
• ONCE Foundation / FOAPS: Spanish national organization for the blind and its foundation for deafblind people. Both a strategic partner of CESyA and an adjacent actor delivering accessibility services in Spain; comparable mission and end-user base, though distinct service scope (employment, social services vs. audiovisual accessibility R&D).

Broad incumbents

• Deluxe Media: Global post-production and media services incumbent offering localization, subtitling, and accessibility. Comparable to CESyA's broad audiovisual accessibility work for content distributors, though operates as a diversified commercial vendor rather than a public reference center.

Direct peers

• ZOO Digital Group: UK-listed provider of subtitling, dubbing, and accessibility services for broadcasters and OTT platforms. Comparable to CESyA in delivering subtitling and audiodescription at scale for media clients, though commercially structured versus CESyA's public mandate.
• 3Play Media: US-based captioning, transcription, and audio description provider serving broadcasters, universities, and enterprises. Directly comparable to CESyA's subtitling and accessibility-compliance offerings, including educational-sector focus similar to Access2Class.
• AI Media: UK-based provider of live captioning, subtitling, and translation services. Directly comparable to CESyA in offering accessibility compliance services for broadcast and live events, including real-time speech-to-text capabilities akin to Mercurio-HG.
• VITAC (a Telus company): Largest North American closed captioning provider for live and recorded broadcast. Comparable to CESyA as a regulatory-grade subtitling and compliance-monitoring partner for national television broadcasters.
• Red Bee Media: UK-headquartered broadcast services company providing subtitling, audio description, and access services for major European broadcasters. Closely comparable to CESyA in delivering accessibility services to public and private broadcasters under regulatory frameworks.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cesyaes
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/cesyaesRPD
• Facebookfacebook.com/Cesyaes
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cesya-centro-espa%C3%B1ol-del-subtitulado-y-la-audiodescripci%C3%B3n-
• Instagraminstagram.com/cesya_es

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about CESyA (Centro Español del Subtitulado y la Audiodescripción)