Why Audio Description and 
What’s Next


Megan A. Conway, Ph.D.

February, 2021


Helen Keller National Center for Deaf-Blind Youths and Adults

Overview


•What Audio Description (AD) Means for the Blind and Deaf-
Blind Community
•Role of AD for Accessibility and Inclusion
•Latest in AD Research 




AD and the Community


•Blind and Deaf-Blind people are diverse.
•Degree of sensory loss
•When acquired
•Cultural and communication background



•Need for accessible, inclusive and supportive environment.



This photo shows a group of HKNC students and staff dressed up for what appears to be a 1950's Grease themed party. About 18 young people, who are diverse in terms of ethnicity and gender, are gathered as a group, with some kneeling and some standing behind them. Balloons and streamers and records hang overhead. Some people are dressed as "Greasers" in jeans and white t-shirts with their hair slicked back. Others wear a poodle skirt, jeans with a poodle on it, jeans with a black muscle t-shirt and sunglasses, jeans with a black t-shirt and a pink or yellow scarf, or paper "diner" hats. 

Accessibility and Inclusion


•Ensuring equitable access to public resources requires a 
holistic approach.
•Physical access
•Sensory access
•Cognitive engagement



•Need to use a variety of tools. 
•Tactile, interpreters, captioning, AD, etc. 






Three white women and an Asian American woman standing in a cluster outdoors at a charity run walk event. One of the women is wearing an "HKNC" t-shirt and focusing her attention on two of the other women who are using tactile sign language. One of the women is holding a piece of paper and appears to be explaining the agenda or the route of the marathon event to the other woman, who is deafblind and is wearing a number pinned to her shirt. A fourth woman is wearing a baseball cap and staring into space. 

HKNC Current Research


•Use research to support inclusion of Deaf-Blind people.


•Awareness
•Information
•Mobility
•Communication 





A white balding man and a white woman with blond hair sit at a table that holds computer equipmentand a braille printer. The woman is using a braille display to read a computer screen and the man is using a braile displAy to read a smart device. 

AD Research Questions


•How can AD be integrated with innovative technologies such 
as haptics, GPS and smart devices?
•What role does AD play across the entire span of an event, 
place or activity?
•How do you audio describe the physical environment to 
enhance mobility and sense of place? 




This has been a presentation by theHelen Keller National Center 


We hope this information has been helpful.

This power point is the property of HKNC

Please do not distribute or use for training purposes.

Contact Megan Conway for more information at:

Megan.conway@hknc.org


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