Audio description for films in Poland: history, present state and future prospects

Abstract

Rapid developments in the field of media accessibility for people with sensory impairments can be seen in numerous countries all around the world. Poland is one such country where accessibility services, such as audio description (AD), are becoming part of the audiovisual landscape and start attracting the interest of many, both in the industry and in research circles. This paper sets out to provide a detailed snapshot of the current situation in Poland with regard to the accessibility of films for persons with vision loss. We start with presenting a brief historical outline of the AD for films in Poland and then move on to discuss its present state. Special attention is given to challenges that need to be faced to mainstream accessibility. The data discussed in this article was obtained through literature review, desk research and personal contact with different actors of the AD provision chain in Poland. The results show that although AD is developing rapidly in Poland, it must face challenges in five main areas: (1) delivery and infrastructure; (2) distribution; (3) legislation; (4) communication, cooperation and coordination, and (5) financing.