Audio description is used to enhance experiences for blind and partially sighted people. I recently received some excellent training in this valuable skill from Susan Griffiths at Oxford University Museum of Natural History, along with other colleagues from the OU Gardens, Libraries and Museums team.
What really struck me was how placing myself in the position of someone with little or no vision made me think differently my role as a communicator. In order to produce an effective audio description I had to look at objects, even familiar ones, in a new way, much more closely and from a new perspective, including taking a much more multi-sensory approach. Thinking and planning how to guide a blind person around spaces between exhibits made me view the whole museum in a different way.
The resulting descriptions we produced as a group were much more powerful, not only for blind visitors but for the sighted as well. Certainly, listening to the descriptions other participants had produced helped me appreciate objects in a new way and notice elements I had not done before.
This is a good illustration of how taking time to think about and plan for those with a particular physical need produces a richer experience for all. This is a theme I considered my post on how schools are enhanced by SEND pupils. In a broader sense, it seems to me that artistic, cultural and scientific spaces are also all enhanced by this inclusive approach: welcoming those with particular special needs creates a richer experience for all.
It’s sometimes easy to think that training like this is only for SEND specialists, but whatever your role, I would urge you take up the opportunity if you get the chance.
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