Annette Brooke meets Andrew Sachs to watch an Audio Described episode of Doctor Who
February 27, 2009 11:22 AM
On the 24th February Annette Brooke met visually impaired "Aunt Megan" and Andrew Sachs at a Parliamentary reception calling for increased Audio Description for the 3,000 blind and partially sighted people living in Mid Dorset and North Poole
Audio Description (AD) is like a narrator telling a story, an additional commentary describes body language, expressions and movements that someone with sight loss would not be able to see, making the story clear through sound.
AD is available on digital TV, on DVD movies, in cinemas, galleries and museums as well as major sporting venues and exhibition centres. Currently the Communications Act (2003) only requires 10 per cent of television programmes to be audio described, thus limiting access, understanding and enjoyment of television.
RNIB is calling for an increase in the amount of audio description (AD) from 10 to 20 per cent of programme and congratulates one UK broadcaster - Sky - who has already agreed to meet this target.
TV is more than just another activity. For many blind and partially sighted people it's a gateway into the outside world, a source of information and in a many cases a genuine lifeline and companion. TV is a medium that could, if adequately audio described, contribute towards combating the isolation that visually impaired people face everyday.
Annette commented;
"As digital switchover gathers pace, the Government need to seriously commit to making television accessible to the UK's visually impaired population. TV is an important part of all of our lives. In this media-driven age its seems unbelievable that blind and partially sighted people are still excluded from television"
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