Audio description

Audio description is a verbal description of the visual elements of media content or other works of art that assists people with visual impairments. The aim of audio description is to provide information about the video content that is crucial to understanding it.

Initially audio description was considered to be used only by the blind and those with other visual impairments. Nowadays the scope of AD users has expanded to include so-called “multi-taskers”, who use the video content as a “background” while doing something else, such as cooking, washing up or running in the morning; the verbal description substitutes for the lack of visual information. Since it is primarily a means of providing accessibility, it can also be used as a cognition tool for educational purposes.

Audio description can describe:
1. Static objects: pictures, sculptures, museum exhibits.
2. Dynamic objects: concerts, opera and ballet performances, theatre performances, audiovisual content.

Depending on the type of content described, different requirements apply to audio description.

Audio description is divided into live and pre-recorded. Live AD is provided for sports events, concerts, exhibitions, etc. Pre-recorded AD is provided for video content and is concisely timed to occur during the lapses between dialogues and other significant sound elements.

Our describers have enough expertise to provide live and pre-recorded audio description that meets the highest standards applied around the world.

We can also provide translation and localisation of audio description scripts.