Imagine watching your favourite film, a live sports event, or a breaking news segment without being able to see the screen. You can hear the dialogue, music, and background noise, but key visual details, like expressions, actions, and scene changes, are missing. For people who are blind or have low vision, this is an everyday experience. That’s where audio description comes in.
What is audio description?
Audio description (AD) is a narrated track that provides essential visual details during natural dialogue pauses. Whether it’s a movie, television show, live performance, or online video, AD helps bridge the gap, ensuring everyone can fully experience visual content. It describes actions, settings, body language, and other critical visual cues that sighted viewers often take for granted.
While captions and transcripts improve accessibility for people who are D/deaf or hard of hearing, audio description ensures that video content is inclusive for those who are blind or have low vision. It transforms storytelling, making it immersive and engaging rather than fragmented and incomplete.
Why audio description is essential
Enhances storytelling
For many, entertainment is an essential part of life. But without audio description, movies, television shows, and even theatre productions can feel incomplete for those who can’t see the full picture. Descriptive narration helps bring the story to life by detailing facial expressions, dramatic scene changes, and crucial visual elements that impact the narrative.
Expands access to information
News broadcasts, educational videos, and even social media content increasingly rely on visuals to convey important messages. Without audio description, people who are blind or visually impaired miss out on critical information, like graphs and charts, in a presentation to safety instructions in a public announcement.
Promotes inclusion and equity
Accessibility should not be an afterthought. By integrating audio description into media and communications, organizations send a powerful message: everyone deserves equal access to content. Whether it’s a corporate training video, an online ad, or a social media campaign, making content accessible ensures that no one is left behind.
Meets legal and industry standards
Many countries have legal requirements for digital accessibility, including mandates for audio description in certain types of media. Ensuring your content is accessible isn’t just the right thing to do – it’s often the law. Businesses, educators, and content creators who prioritize accessibility reduce legal risks while demonstrating a commitment to diversity and inclusion.
How A Life Worth Living is leading the way
At A Life Worth Living, we believe accessibility should be at the core of all communications. That’s why we offer Audio Description: The Visual Made Verbal, a course designed to equip professionals with the skills to create high-quality audio descriptions.
This course, led by Dr. Joel Snyder, a pioneer in audio description, provides practical training on writing and delivering effective descriptions that capture essential visual details while respecting the intent and pacing of the original content.
Participants will learn:
- The fundamentals of audio description and its role in accessibility
- How to craft clear, concise, and engaging descriptions
- Best practices for integrating audio description into various media formats
- The ethical and legal considerations in making content inclusive
Whether you’re a content creator, educator, business professional, or media producer, this course will help you build a more inclusive and accessible experience for all audiences.
The future of accessible content
The need for audio description is only growing. As video content becomes increasingly central to how we communicate, learn, and entertain, it’s crucial to ensure everyone can fully engage with what’s being shared.
By embracing audio description, we move toward a world where access to information, entertainment, and storytelling is truly equal. Organizations and content creators who take the initiative to make their work accessible aren’t just meeting a requirement—they’re fostering a culture of inclusion and respect.
Ready to make your content truly accessible? Join us in ensuring that no one is left behind. Learn more about Audio Description: The Visual Made Verbal and take the first step toward more inclusive storytelling today.