Audio Description - the Visual Made Verbal: Making Your Events and Facilities Accessible for Visitors Who Are Blind View Digital Media

Innovation Showcase
Joel Snyder  

Audio Description (AD) is a translation of images to words. AD uses words that are succinct, vivid, and imaginative to convey the visual image that is not fully accessible to a segment of the population and not fully realized by the rest of us—sighted folks who see but who may not observe. The principal constituency for AD is the underserved population of people who are blind or have a vision impairment; in the United States alone, there are over 31 million people who are blind or have difficulty seeing even with correction (American Foundation for the Blind, 2019). Anyone or any event that presents visual images to visitors can use AD techniques—through careful observation and the skillful use of language, he/she enlivens the presentation for all listeners. AD has proved to provide meaningful access to the wide range of media and arts (television, film, performing arts, museums) that comprise any culture. Touristic events and facilities are an important part of communities worldwide and must be inclusive of all potential visitors. Visitor centers, city tours, tandem bike tours, cruise ships are only several of the settings that have been made accessible to tourists who are blind. On cruise ships, for example, myriad activities can be enhanced with AD, ranging from land excursions while in port, during performances on board and even during karaoke events, allowing the blind tourist to fully participate in the event.