Audio Description for film and television is a pre-recorded track that uses verbal descriptions to provide information on visual aspects of a film or TV programme. In the UK it is currently the only accessibility strategy available for visually impaired audiences and although it provides access to a large number of people, its shortcomings also fail to engage others in audiovisual experiences. The Enhancing Audio Description project explores how digital audio technologies can be applied to the creation of alternatives to Audio Description with the aim of personalising access strategies. Such personalisation would allow users to select the method utilised to access audiovisual experiences, by having choices that include traditional forms of accessibility as well as sound design based methods. The present article analyses the results of a survey and focus groups in which visually impaired participants discussed the advantages and disadvantages of AD and it demonstrates not only the diversity of experiences and needs of visually impaired groups but also their eagerness for change.

Enhancing Audio Description is a research project that explores how sound design, first-person narration, and binaural audio could be utilised to provide accessible versions of films for visually impaired audiences, presenting an alternative to current audio description (AD) practices. This article explores such techniques in the context of the redesign of the short film ‘Pearl’, by discussing the creative process as well as evaluating the feedback supplied by visually impaired audiences. The research presented in this article demonstrates that the methods proposed were as successful as traditional AD in terms of providing information, enjoyment, and accessibility to audiences, demonstrating that both practices can coexist and, as a result, cater for the different stylistic preferences of end users.

The Enhancing Audio Description project explored the design of an alternative to traditional Audio Description for film and television for visually impaired audiences, by maximising the potential of sound design strategies for storytelling. The project's methodology sits within the field of accessible filmmaking, advocating for the integration of accessibility strategies to creative workflows while also acknowledging their artistic potential. The present article explores the use of the Enhancing Audio Description (EAD) methods by a group of film students and recent graduates in the creation of a short film, while also discussing the process and end result in the context of the lack of inclusion of education on accessibility in filmmaking degrees. The authors discuss how a lack of teaching in the field of accessibility to film students results in a reinforcement of harmful stereotypes that exclude disabled audiences. A greater interest in accessibility sparked at university level might contribute towards a more inclusive film industry.

This paper explores the creation of an alternative to traditional Audio Description for visually impaired film and television audiences. The Enhanced Audio Description (EAD) methods utilise sound design as the main vehicle for accessibility and advocate for the integration of accessibility practices to filmmaking workflows.  Moreover, this integrated strategy results in an organic form of accessibility that can cater for both visually impaired and sighted audiences, championing inclusive cinematic experiences.  The present article reflects on the discussions held during focus groups in which mixed audiences of visually impaired and sighted people watched the same film, with the same EAD soundtrack over headphones.  The discussions highlight the potential of the format as an example of universal design and accessible filmmaking, which can be enjoyed regardless of audience’s sight condition and can be offered alongside traditional Audio Description (AD) in order to cater for different aesthetic preferences. Lay summary Audio Description (AD) is a third person commentary added to film and television productions to make them accessible for visually impaired audiences.  Traditionally, AD is added to productions after they have been completed, meaning that the creative and accessibility teams do not work together to produce the accessible version of the production.  This paper explores an alternative to traditional AD, called Enhanced Audio Description (EAD), whose methods are integrated to filmmaking workflows.  EAD moves away from a focus on verbal descriptions and instead focuses on sound design strategies.  In EAD the traditional third person commentary is replaced by the combination of three techniques.  The first is the addition of sound effects to provide information on actions, convey abstract scenes as well as indicate time, place, and the presence of characters. The second is the use of binaural audio (3D audio over headphones) to convey the position of characters and objects portrayed on the screen. Finally, first-person narration is used to portray feelings, gestures, colours as well as certain actions. The application of EAD methods results in a form of accessibility that can cater for both visually impaired and sighted audiences, championing inclusive cinematic experiences. Focus groups with audiences of visually impaired and sighted people demonstrated the potential of the format to be widely enjoyed, and to be offered alongside traditional Audio Description (AD) in order to provide accessible experiences which cater for different aesthetic preferences.