Responsive Audio-Video For Blind & Sight Impaired Persons
Traditional Audio Descriptions
Traditional Audio Descriptions
[Author: Bill Fischer]
Overview
Universal Responsive Media is Based in Progressive Enhancement
An equal quality of experience for sight, hearing, physically, and cognitively impaired persons is the goal of responsive media. At the baseline of the progression is text. Then, multi-sensory enhancements are added for those persons that have the physical abilities to engage with them. Research has shown that audio descriptions, improve learning and retention for all sensory abilities (The effectiveness of audio description for sighted persons A ResearchGate list of studies (external link)
Traditional Audio Description
is the most common accessibility feature in film and video for the blind and sight-impaired. It typically utilizes added narration, to provide a description of the action. This method attempts to 'fix' video and film that was not initially designed for blind and sight-impaired persons. They require rapid task switching and increase cognitive load. The descriptions are often rushed, and stigmatize disabled persons in group viewings due to the employment of an obvious ‘fix’. However, traditional audio descriptions are far better than no audio descriptions.
Integrated Audio Descriptions
These eliminate the need for added narration which are typically hurried and interrupt the natural flow of the video, animation, or film. This I-See-U specific approach aims to create an experience that sight, hearing, and cognitively impaired persons can organically experience together. One that is optimized to provide a quality experience for all, at the same time, in the same place. They're designed for accessibility from the start, they flow with the action, they make time for the audio descriptions and their organic integrations eliminate the stigmatization that blind and sight impaired persons can experience when watching with sighted persons. Read more about Read more about Integrated Audio Descriptions here.
Traditional Audio Description Examples
Below, are two examples of traditional audio descriptions.
Informational Animation (Audio Described)
This short animated video segment is from the 'Anxiety' animation completed for Mental Health America as part of The EPIC Project. Here, you can watch the full Anxiety video and see the credits (external link).
The video pauses briefly (except for some animated loops) to make room for the audio descriptions. The added narration is neutral in tone.
Anxiety-AD-Trimmed.mp4Animated Poem (Audio Described)
This short animated video called 'Rise Up' is from the a series of animations completed for the Creative Youth Center of Grand Rapids as part of The EPIC Project. Here, you can watch the full CYC Video series and see the credits (external link).
The video periodically pauses all movement for extended periods to make room for the audio descriptions. The added narration is expressive in tone.
CYC-AD-Example.mp4Traditional Audio Description Design Methods
The design challenge with traditional audio description is finding (or making) time to paint a visual picture using only additional narration.
Two Recognized Methods
There are two methods recognized by the accessibility industry: Standard and Extended.
The Standard method does not pause the video to make time for the audio descriptions and squeezes them into the existing narration or dialogue pauses.
The Extended method adds pauses to make time for the audio descriptions. Both examples above utilize the Extended method.
Voice Inflection
Neutral inflection is the most common narration style. This method ensures that the audio description is not be confused with the original voice content. The above example: 'Anxiety' uses neutral inflection.
Emotive inflection is less common but does offer the benefit of attempting to maintain the emotional integrity of the video or film. The above example: 'Rise Up' uses emotive inflection. Research by Floriane Bardini at the University of Vic, has shown that emotive voice provides a better experience than standard voice for most viewers: Audio Description Style and the Film Experience of Blind Spectators: Design of a Reception Study (external link)
General Guidelines
Audio and video must have controls that allow the user to pause, play, rewind, and restart. Video should not autoplay because the viewer may be caught off guard and miss some parts of it. They will use all of these controls periodically to re-listen to segments.
If there isn't time between the dialogue to fit all of that in, choose the description that best supports the understanding of the story being told. Think about how much needs to be described in detail versus how much can be left to the audience's imagination... and still tell the story.
Five Methods (rarely are they all used simultaneously)
With traditional audio descriptions, these must all be accomplished with an added narration track.
[1] Complex and simple Actions: only include what is necessary to the story or information being conveyed.
[2] Who is speaking: Once the voices for each character or person is established, additional identifications may not be necessary
[3] Appearance of persons on screen: Only include those aspects which are important to the story or information being conveyed.
[4} Time: Such as morning, mid-day, evening, the future, the past, etc.
[5] Location: This may be general (such as "on a city street") or specific (such as "in the mayors office").