by Cannelle Dewaeles at ALTO
In the second part of this series of articles on audio description, we take a closer look at how it is developed: what content needs to be included? How should it be expressed? What editorial choices need to be made? What technologies should be used? How can audio description be combined with other media?
But first of all: what is audio description?
Audio description consists of a spoken description of what is on view (a show, a work of art, a place, etc.) and aims to compensate for a visual impairment by using hearing in place of sight—unlike devices such as tele-enlargers, which require partial sight. Widely used in the film industry, audio description has also proved its worth as a cultural mediation tool. It is used to enhance visits with audio commentary describing the content on display. However, its effects vary depending on the degree of visual impairment: for a blind person, it helps construct a mental image of the object, whereas for someone who is partially sighted and can therefore distinguish certain elements of their surroundings, it can help clarify visible details.
- Designing audio description content
So, what can be said in an audio description commentary in the cultural sector? Despite the name, audio description includes not only descriptive content but also informative guidance. The latter includes both instructions for using the audio tour, which should be explained at the start of the visit, and directions to help visually impaired visitors find their way around. It should be noted, however, that most of the time visitors with visual impairments are not able to visit the museum completely independently, and are therefore assisted by an accompanying person who guides them through the space.
These two types of content – descriptive and informative – can be distinguished audibly, in particular by using different voices, so that visitors can clearly see what is part of the visit and what is not.
When descriptions are central, we have to make an editorial choice: how do we combine the raw description with the analysis of the work? Should we separate or combine them? Separating the two can provide greater clarity for the listener, who creates a mental image before understanding what it is all about, but it can also generate a certain feeling of redundancy and limit the fluidity of the commentary (description and analysis often echoing each other).
Now, how do we describe our vision to someone who doesn’t have it? This question underlines the importance of the way in which we address visually impaired audiences.
The first element to take into account is the speed of speech. We recommend adopting a calm, rather slow rhythm, punctuated by short pauses, if necessary, to make it easier for listeners to visualise and understand without extending the length of the commentary. But we must also bear in mind the pitfall often encountered, which is that of an audio description that is too monotonous, no longer reflecting the range of emotions conveyed in traditional commentaries. When listening to the audio descriptions at the Louvre Lens, testers from the specialist Valentin Haüy association commented that the recordings lacked smiles and emotion, and that the tone used was not ‘embodied’ enough. This feedback was very helpful for improving the final version of the audio tour.
When crafting commentary, it is also essential to stimulate the listener’s imagination. So don’t hesitate to use highly visual descriptions or comparisons, despite the apparent paradox, and appeal to the other senses, through the visitor’s hearing, feelings, smell, touch, etc. For example, for the audio description tour of the Palais Garnier, Alto asked Jean-Marc Plumauzille, an audio-describer from the Valentin Haüy association, to take part. Throughout the tour, he encourages visitors to touch the surrounding furniture to feel the textures and materials, or to take off their headphones to soak up the sounds of the site. In the same way, the Musée de la Marine (Marine Museum) has opted for immersive content (thanks in particular to audio sketches) for its visitor companion, which is not restricted to the visually impaired people. While there may be a risk of overwhelming blind and partially-sighted visitors with audio overload, this immersive content can actually “feed” their imaginations and enrich their visit experience, which is often limited in terms of creativity.
- Levers for improving the audio description visitor experience
The choice of content and the way in which it is expressed are essential for an appropriate audio description, but other tools can also be employed when designing an accessible experience for visually impaired visitors.
Firstly, technology. It aims to simplify the use of the tour medium (the audio guide), thanks to tactile keys for example (systematic for the central button), but can also help to make the user with visual impairment more autonomous. We are thinking in particular here of the potential of automatic activation, which seems worth exploring as part of the REACT project: to what extent could it enable an autonomous visit? Can the visually impaired visitor use this technology without a guide? These questions remain open and deserve to be explored in greater depth by cultural and outreach professionals.
When budgets allow, it is also interesting to supplement the auditory approach to mediation with the use of touch. To anchor the message and give it a tangible reality, offering tactile media, such as models or replicas, can enhance the experience. The Centre Pompidou, for example, has teamed up with designer Alain Mikli to reproduce ten works, using A3 format plates with eight levels of relief to reproduce the details of each work as accurately as possible. Technological innovations can also be used here, but at a higher cost. Tooteko, a company that grew out of a doctoral research project, proposes, for example, to combine the tactile exploration of a work of art with an audio explanation triggered simultaneously by NFC (near-field communication) sensors, for greater precision.
Audio description is the solution most widely adopted by cultural institutions to make visits more accessible to blind and partially-sighted people, not least because it is the most affordable. As discussed in this article, there are several important considerations.
To conclude this series of articles, let’s get together next month to discuss a few good practices to put in place when designing an audio description!