DARCI S02 Ep.09
This podcast episode features an interview with Mairi Taylor, discussing accessibility in theatre, collaboration, and the challenge of retaining knowledge to sustain disability inclusion efforts. Find out more.
The Enhancing Audio Description II project seeks to explore the potential of sound design practices and spatial audio to provide accessible film and television experiences for visually impaired audiences. It fuses audio technology and creativity to widen the notion of media accessibility and increase the quality and quantity of provision, providing cutting edge techniques to the UK cultural sector.
Enhancing Audio Description II: implementing accessible, personalised and inclusive film and television experiences for visually impaired audiences, is a project that proposes a new paradigm in accessible experiences, in which there is not an overreliance on a narrator's spoken word, as in traditional Audio Description practices. Instead it utilises new accessibility features that include: the addition of sound effects, the spatialisation of dialogue and sounding objects, and first-person narration, to provide accessible experiences that are seamlessly integrated to the soundtrack of a film or television programme. These techniques are integrated into film and television workflows from the development phase up to final delivery.
The project builds up from previous research which demonstrated the success of these methods, and explores them even further, by concentrating on the conveyance of cinematographic elements through sound, the exploration of the intricacies of using first-person narration across different genres and different cast sizes, as well as exploring how spatialisation techniques can be adapted for multi-listener scenarios for a variety of loudspeaker formats. The exploration of these methods will be conducted with an end-user centred approach, in which visually impaired audiences are consulted from the design process up to delivery. Furthermore, the project explores the creation of guidelines that will allow the incorporation of these methods to professional broadcasting pipelines and film workflows, by collaborating with a Project Advisory Panel representative of the different roles in film and television as well as end users.
This podcast episode features an interview with Mairi Taylor, discussing accessibility in theatre, collaboration, and the challenge of retaining knowledge to sustain disability inclusion efforts. Find out more.
We are excited to have had Bob doing an internship with us. In this post he sums up his experience on working on a promotional and a demo film for the EAD method. Find out more.
The podcast episode features an interview with Jay Pocknell, a mixing engineer and founder of Sound Without Sight, an online hub connecting visually impaired musicians and audio professionals. He discusses inclusive design and screen reader-friendly software, and the importance of community-driven accessibility initiatives. Find out more.
Dr. Monika Zabrocka continues outlining her research with Mariana at our university's School of Arts and Creative Technologies. Find out more.
The podcast episode features an interview with Dr. Jen Beeston, who discusses her work in game accessibility. She highlights how disabled people interact with games, often leveraging their unique strengths and strategies to navigate gameplay. Find out more.
We’re excited to offer an internship opportunity titled ‘Post-Production Sound Intern’, with Academy Award-winning Sound Supervisor Nina Hartstone. Find out more.
Documentary filmmakers James Edward Kilpatrick and Jack Morris collaborated with our EAD team to create an accessible version of Aspectum, a documentary exploring Charles Bonnet Syndrome. You can now watch the full film. Find out more.
In this interview, filmmakers James Edward Kilpatrick and Jack Morris, share their experiences of working with the EAD team to make their film 'Aspectum' accessible for visually impaired audiences, while also sharing their perspectives on accessibility and hopes for the future. Find out more.
In this blog post Kris updates us on the work he's been doing as part of his research within the EAD team, where his focus has been on how to use sound to convey cinematographic elements. Find out more.
In this interview, Mariana interviewed Nwando Ebizie, an unclassifiable polymath, British Nigerian multidisciplinary artist. Nwando creates afrofuturist speculative fictions and alternate realities at the intersection of live art, experimental music, and multisensory installations. Find out more.
Chaimae had the chance to attend, for the very first time, ARSAD (Advanced Research Seminar on Audio Description) in Barcelona. The conference took place from the 19th to the 21st of March 2025, and it marked her first experience attending a conference as a researcher. Find out more.
In this interview, Mariana interviewed Sarah McDonagh, a researcher specialising in media accessibility, cultural heritage and sustainability. Find out more.
In this interview, Gonzalo, a freelance media accessibility expert, talks about challenges in describing contemporary performances, conveying complex ideas effectively by using audio introductions and metaphors and the connection between disability studies, queer and feminist translation. Find out more.
Emily Woods, our Summer 2022 intern, worked with RNIB to produce a report on how to enhance TV documentary AD based on interviews, focus groups and surveys. Among other things, participants mentioned that sound effects should be rich and clear as they can enhance understanding, and noted the importance of considering AD early on in the production process. Find out more.
In this episode Mariana interviewed Gabriela Ortiz from Percepciones Textuales. Based in Buenos Aires, she explores her work in the field of accessibility as well as the Argentinian and Latin American context. Find out more.
Our team carries out focus groups, interviews and other sessions on a regular basis. If you are visually impaired and are interested in participating you can sign up to our participants' mailing list below to find out about the opportunities available.