What needs to be heard: The roles of audio description in preparing blind or low vision people for visits to public attractions

Abstract

This dissertation uses naturalistic inquiry to identify, document, and assess the potential impacts of Audio Description (AD) in the Preparation Stage of a trip to a national park for people who are blind or who have low vision. AD is the verbal narration of key visual elements in media to make the visual information more accessible for people who cannot see or cannot see well. Blind or low vision people typically do not visit parks for leisure because of concerns about the many daunting obstacles that could emerge on their journeys, including inaccessible media, yet they also have a latent desire to commune with these parks, if the path is clear (Bandukda et al., 2020). The accessibility or inaccessibility of site media using AD sends clear signals to any potential visitor about expectations for such a trip. Originally conceptualized by scholars as a method for improving the accessibility of movies and television, AD continues to be mostly perceived as a feature for screen-based entertainment. However, AD could be helpful in many other mediated circumstances, including site brochures, wayside signs, and exhibits at national parks and other public attractions. To encourage that development, this dissertation focused on AD factors that are important in the Preparation Stage of a visit to a national park. Data was gathered through focus groups with 29 blind and low vision individuals at three national parks, which gave them a chance to voice what impacts AD had on their trips, particularly in the Preparation Stage. This research revealed that knowing about Audio Description when blind and low vision individuals are in the preparation stage of their visits to a site significantly increases their chances of visiting that site. Furthermore, blind and low vision individuals were found to want to know more about the park surroundings when they are planning their trips, and having mobility supporting descriptions at public attractions was also found to increase motivation for taking trips. In addition, participants expressed a strong preference for having AD more available on nature trails and in the outdoors at national parks.