DIFFERENT TYPES OF AUDIO DESCRIPTION AS AN EXAMPLE OF MEDIA ACCESSIBILITY BEST PRACTICES

Koryagina Violetta Vitalievna

The article contains an analysis of media accessibility best practices aimed at providing access for the people with vision impairments. The author examines accessibility legislature around the world and describes principles and guidelines of providing media accessibility that have proved their efficiency over time and are considered to be best practices. Using audio description (verbal description for people with vision impairments) as an example, the author presents a review of practices providing access to audiovisual products, shows and events, both live and recorded. Among those are theatre productions, dance performances, opera, different types of media (movies, TV series, broadcasting, any kind of recorded video), museum tours, art objects and exhibitions. The author looks at several aspects of these accessibility services: existing practice, specifics of each kind of audio description and their functions. The article also includes an analysis of audio description guidelines concerning the finished product itself (scripted or live audio description) and the describer (voice quality, tone, pitch; gender and other).

Keywords:accessibility services, accessibility specialist, best practices, media accessibility, audio description, people with vision impairments