Audio Descriptoins

Prior to the readings, I did not know much about audio description and its importance in accessibility. Specifically, I was interested in how audio descriptions do not just make artwork accessible, but can be an art form itself. In “Blind Imagination: Pictures into Words” Georgina Kleege says that she leans “more about the people speaking than about the image before their eyes. Different people notice different things.” In this way, audio descriptions can be a reflection of the recorder's view on the world. They may put more emphasis on colors or shapes or movements which impacts how the audio description is perceived. 

However, Kleege also talks about how a lot of audio descriptions can include unnecessary detail. Depending on whether a person was born with low vision or became blind later in life, they may desire more visual descriptions. I thought Kleege brought up an interesting point about movies and how she can typically understand what is happening from the dialogue and sound effects, only needing occasional details. In fact, too much information in an audio description can be distracting. Audio describer Victor Cole, in “Audio Description, Described,” also mentions how sometimes simpler descriptions are better. Cole talks about how inflection and pacing can be more important than dense adjective-packed descriptions. The mood and tone can come across by how fast the describer speaks rather than trying to find the perfect vocabulary to narrate a scene.