At Breda University of Applied Sciences (BUas), accessibility is regarded as an essential part of good hospitality. Event Manager Lieke van Gils is responsible for organising open days, graduation ceremonies, foundation year celebrations, and official academic occasions. Increasingly, one question arises: how can we ensure that every visitor can fully follow the programme. From international guests to grandparents in the audience?

Soundhape 1 Pro was used for the first time at the Opening of the Academic Year, where up to three speakers shared the stage. It was a formal event, attended by the Executive Board and many senior leaders. “Accessibility is high on the agenda, but there was also a healthy degree of caution about AI-based solutions,” says Lieke. “Our academy director wanted certainty about the tool’s reliability. That’s why he wanted to experience it himself first.”

The trial quickly proved convincing. “He was pleasantly surprised by the speed and accuracy of the subtitles,” Lieke recalls. “That gave us the green light to use Soundshape during the Opening.”

Practice confirmed that confidence. “It was faster than I had expected,” says Lieke. “I thought there might be a delay, like you used to get with subtitles on television. But Soundshape was completely in sync with the speaker. That provided reassurance—especially in a formal setting.”

Lieke also valued the flexibility. Thanks to the customisation options in the web app, subtitles could be positioned precisely to complement the presentation display. “It’s brilliant that you can decide how and where the text appears on screen, so it’s always easy to read and integrates neatly into the visuals.”

Another strong feature is the QR code option. Visitors can follow the subtitles on their own phones, in addition to what appears on the main screen. Lieke immediately saw opportunities for permanent use on campus. “Ideally, each room would have its own QR code, clearly displayed on a sign at the entrance. Anyone who needs it can scan and join in—without us having to arrange anything separately for each event.”

For BUas, accessibility is never limited to visible needs. “You can’t tell just by looking whether someone has a hearing impairment—just as you can’t always see if someone struggles with stairs. That’s why we always ask at graduation ceremonies if any guest requires extra support. For us, that is simply part of hospitality.”

With Soundshape, this philosophy of hospitality is brought to life in the room. Whether for international visitors, hearing-impaired guests, or formal academic gatherings, barriers to participation are removed.

Lieke sums it up: “If solutions like this become standard, you’ll never have to debate whether to use them. Accessibility becomes a given. That is precisely what the Soundshape 1 Pro makes possible.”