Researching Audio Description

'Researching Audio Description: New Approaches is an introduction to state of the art research in Audio Description that is a must read for anyone doing research in or embarking on research in AD and media accessibility. It offers a panoramic picture of a multi-faceted field, its concepts, research methods and current applications as well as a solid basis for further research.'- Aline Remael, University of Antwerp, Belgium

Audio description is one of the many services available to guarantee accessibility to audiovisual media. It describes and narrates images and sounds and resulting audio is then mixed with the original soundtrack. Audio description is a complex process that touches production, distribution and reception. Researching Audio Description: New Approaches gathers academic information and data from the many existing research projects, practices, and training across the world. The book has a telescopic approach, from two introductory chapters where accessibility in general is contextualised as a human right, and the basic concepts of disability and impairment are explored. Research on specific features for audio description script drafting are focused in the second part of the book, with a view to revising existing funded projects and their outcomes. The book offers a wealth of information on both the practical and philosophical, from different approaches in perception and cognition, and different research methodologies. Project information contained in the contributions identifies trends in current research-funded studies which will be valuable as a pointer towards future proposals. The book shows the dynamic state of audio description practice, training and research, while contributing towards the growing critical mass needed in building the field of accessibility studies.

Anna Matamala is a lecturer at Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Her research interests are audiovisual tran