Audio description services in Europe: an update

Abstract

Audio Description for the blind and visually impaired (AD) is an access service that is rapidly gaining ground in Europe, in the industry as well as in research circles. Nevertheless, the European AD landscape is still fragmented and countries are at different stages of development. This paper provides a detailed description of AD services in selected European countries for 2012 (Italy, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Germany and Poland) based on the results of the European project "Audio Description: Lifelong Access for the Blind." The overview provided in this paper shows that AD is a media access practice still lacking critical mass in terms of terminology, practice and training, especially when considered in conjunction with the number of people in Europe that (would) benefit from this service. At the same time, the data collected indicate a rising awareness regarding accessibility. The paper demonstrates that various countries have different strengths and competences in respect of AD types. The paper concludes by underlining the importance of lobbying powers, awareness building and close collaboration between countries and between academia and the industry.