Title
Audio description and cultural access in Catalonia. A qualitative approach
Conference name
Arsad 2015
City
Country
Spain
Modalities
Date
19/03/2015
Abstract
Audio description practices cannot be isolated from the contexts where they are generated. They are inscribed in specific policies of cultural access, and are affected by the diverse educational backgrounds and cultural interests of their users. Starting from this assumption, the authors set out to document the experiences of blind women in Catalonia. In the context of a more general project on Women and Blindness, we interviewed six women of different ages and with diverse types of visual impairment. We asked about their education and their access to knowledge, culture and work. We did semi structured interviews, which were filmed in order to produce a documentary which will give their views on these issues:
1. Do you consider that culture is accessible enough nowadays? Do you commonly use/find/enjoy audio guides when visiting museums?
2. Did you have any difficulties in entering and following education? What are your opinions on inclusive (versus special) education?
3. What are your experiences regarding AD? Are you satisfied (in terms of quantity and quality) with the AD offered in Catalonia? What is the most important aspect of AD for you?
4. What are, in your opinion, the main future challenges in these fields?
Although it is a fact that our present-day society has greatly developed in recent years as far as accessibility is concerned, all the women interviewed agree that people in Catalonia are not sensitized enough and there is still a long way to go for a complete normalization. This lack of standardization is reflected in their constant need to improve themselves, to demonstrate capabilities and to remind people that visual impairment is only a part of them. Hence, the challenge lies in informing and educating people about disability (not only visual). Thus, this paper aims to make a contribution to the understanding of audiovisual accessibility, which will be further expanded in future research.
1. Do you consider that culture is accessible enough nowadays? Do you commonly use/find/enjoy audio guides when visiting museums?
2. Did you have any difficulties in entering and following education? What are your opinions on inclusive (versus special) education?
3. What are your experiences regarding AD? Are you satisfied (in terms of quantity and quality) with the AD offered in Catalonia? What is the most important aspect of AD for you?
4. What are, in your opinion, the main future challenges in these fields?
Although it is a fact that our present-day society has greatly developed in recent years as far as accessibility is concerned, all the women interviewed agree that people in Catalonia are not sensitized enough and there is still a long way to go for a complete normalization. This lack of standardization is reflected in their constant need to improve themselves, to demonstrate capabilities and to remind people that visual impairment is only a part of them. Hence, the challenge lies in informing and educating people about disability (not only visual). Thus, this paper aims to make a contribution to the understanding of audiovisual accessibility, which will be further expanded in future research.