This doctoral thesis proposes a novel audiovisual access service designed to enhance cognitive access to complex (audiovisual) narratives. This is achieved by presenting the theoretical framework underpinning this mode, outlining its design and methodology, and offering the empirical findings on the reception of prototype Accessible Cues among cognitively diverse audiences. Advances in Media Accessibility have demonstrated that disabilities do not need to hinder cultural participation and have pushed for the public and private sectors to act upon EU-wide and national legislations (European Commission, 2015; Ofcom, 2017). Nevertheless, institutions are yet to thoroughly address the needs of cognitively diverse audiences, with Cognitive Accessibility (Johansson, 2016) becoming a focal point for research only a decade after its first introduction in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD, 2006). The focus has so far mainly been that of bridging the gap for Web and public-sector communication, to allow people with diverse cognitive abilities to make informed choices (European Commission, 2016). While Easy-to-Understand language varieties have been put forward as the best solution for domain-specific written communication (Maaß, 2020), little is known about the access needs of these audiences when non-domain specific communication and audiovisual products are concerned. This doctoral work addresses the cognitive divide by focusing on audiovisual narratives. Films are a powerful means of plunging audiences into storyworlds (Herman, 2002). They are shared cultural experiences that promote a sense of inclusion and participation in today’s digital world, but they are also educational in nature, as they provide insight into emotions and behaviours (Wassmann, 2015; Thonon et al., 2016;). Yet, processing complex audiovisual narratives such as films and TV productions can prove challenging for people with diverse cognitive abilities (Schlickers, 2009; APA, 2013), who may be ultimately excluded from fully comprehending and enjoying them. Nevertheless, the cognitive effort required to process narratives could be reduced when complex inferences are explicitated and relevant information is provided (Kruger, 2012; Braun, 2016; Vercauteren, 2021; Merritt & Liles, 1987; Wolman, 1991; Loth, et al., 2011). Furthermore, comprehensibility-enhanced language varieties within the E2U framework (Maaß, 2020) may reduce the cognitive effort required to simultaneously process the (original) audiovisual product and the (additional) verbal information provided by access modes (e.g., subtitles, audio description, etc.,). This is because by applying E2U principles, the linguistic complexity in the additional verbal information is reduced, thereby facilitating comprehension. Building on these two premises, this project introduces a prototype audiovisual mode named ‘Accessible Cues’. This innovative mode aims at reducing cognitive barriers in audiovisual narratives, thereby promoting full social inclusion of cognitively diverse audiences in entertainment and beyond.