Audio description opens up new worlds
Audio description is opening up a new world of possibilities for visually impaired individuals. At the seminar titled “Audio Description as a Type of Translation and SEBEDER (Audio Description Association)” hosted by IUE Department of Translation and Interpretation, it was pointed out that audio description opened up new world of possibilities for the visually impaired by describing the visuals, feelings, silently emerging situations in films and TV series.
In his speech, Olgun Yılmaz, Lawyer and Board Member of SEBEDER, stated that when the visually impaired came across with audio description at an early age, their whole world changed. Yılmaz said, “With audio description, the visually impaired learn about a situation, visual facts, visions they did not know before. For example, I did not know what mimics were. I understood the importance of mimics with audio description. This technique expands our communication area. We learn about different ways of vision. With audio description technique, the visually impaired get a chance to enjoy films, theater plays, and every cinematographic work. Therefore, we want this technique to become widespread and used appropriately in all primetime programs.”
‘Getting to know a whole different world’
Emine Kolivar, Board Member of SEBEDER, Audio Description Coordinator and Specialist, stated that visually impaired individuals followed audio descripted works such as films, TV series closely, and she said, “We set up a description bank within Audio Description Association. Volunteers here make audio descriptions. Later, these descriptions go through approval process and are uploaded to the internet. It is, of course, a hard process. While making descriptions for the visually impaired, people realize how little they pay attention to things around them and find themselves in a completely new world. We have a long way to go when it comes to standardization practices. The fact that audio description for the visually impaired being very educational should not be looked over.”
‘New line of work in translation’
Prof. Dr. Neslihan Yetkiner, Head of IUE Department of Translation and Interpretation, stated that work was underway for the deaf, hearing impaired and visually impaired to have access to audio-visual media services, and that the audio description technique became a new line of work in translation field. “Standardization in audio description in our country is still an ongoing process. The aim is to make reformative practices that will allow access to audio-visual media services. With this seminar we wanted to raise awareness on the issue of media accessibility, and inform that audio description technique became a new line of work in translation field for the visually impaired so they can, too, understand the visuals, feelings, silently emerging situations in films and TV series,” said Prof. Dr. Yetkiner.
