Audio description
What is audio description?
Audio description adds additional audio content (narration) to a video to benefit blind and visually impaired users. It provides information about key visual elements not described already in the main dialogue/narration. These key visual elements can be descriptions of people, changes in the scene or location, or on-screen text. We have a couple of examples of audio description further down the page.
Some videos published after 23 September 2020 may need to have an audio-described version.
Where audio description is required, this would generally be served by producing a second version of your video with audio description (voiceover) synchronised to (in time with) the video. NB YouTube is working on adding a second audio channel that would allow two audio tracks to be uploaded with one video.
It is important to be clear about your audience, what the message of your video is and where your video content will be shared.
Videos that do not need a second audio described version are:
- Simple formats with no change in the visual content, such as talking-head or interview-style formats where the presenters introduce themselves
- Videos where changes in the visual content are described already in the dialogue/narration
A full transcript and closed captions will be enough in these instances.
You would need to consider creating an audio-described edit of the video when cut-away footage paints further important detail and context that is not contained in the main audio. This second edit would then provide the additional content for a visually impaired audience who would not receive the full context by listening.
The University of Derby website (and other platforms)
All new marketing videos on the University of Derby website need to have closed captions and full transcripts. The transcripts will include all the dialogue and important sounds from the closed captions, and also any audio description information. You do not have to produce a second version of these marketing videos with synchronised audio description unless this is requested specifically by a user.
If you are producing video for other University platforms, you will need to have closed captions and a transcript, but you may also need to provide a version of your video with synchronised audio description.
How to create an audio-described video
With all video content, the most important aspect is planning and working with your videographer.
As we've mentioned, you can avoid the need for a second video or audio track by planning your dialogue or narration to describe the visual changes. This will mean that all the audio description you need is already within your video. You don't need a second version. To achieve this, when you start your initial video planning, story boarding etc, think about the number of locations you want to use, how (often) you cut to them, what other action you require and how you can include descriptions of this in your script.
If you are going to need a second-audio described version, planning, again, is key. Plan your video by scenes and, after each scene, leave a natural pause in your dialogue/narration that will provide space for an audio-description/voiceover to describe what that scene looks like. For example, if your presenter in the video was talking about their role at the University and which department they worked for, a cut-away shot of their building may be necessary to add context. The natural pause between scenes and the presenter talking would allow for a voiceover to describe the building. This planning avoids the need for a second extended edit that would require pauses in the video to accommodate the description.
Be mindful that, in the second option, a voiceover would be required. Your videographer may provide this service. Other third-party suppliers do provide this service too, such as 3 Play Media.
When planning your video, with or without audio descriptions, please do approach the Campaigns Marketing team. Kelly Knight can provide guidance and support the creative process.
What to include in your audio description
Your audio description will need to include any important information that is conveyed visually only. The word to stress here is "important". Content and context is important, but how that content is presented does not generally need to be described.
For instance, on-screen text will need to be described (read aloud) but you don't need to say that it is flown in from the left side of the screen and is written in white text on a blue background.
Names and roles will need to be described but it is not necessary to describe their appearance unless the context is relevant, eg "Professor Ian Turner, Professor in Learning and Teaching. He is wearing a white lab coat and a plastic Viking helmet".
This goes back to the message you are intending to convey in your video. If the audio-description helps a visually impaired user understand your video, keep it in. If it doesn't, leave it out.
We want our videos to be engaging and inspiring to a general audience. That same applies for a visually impaired audience. Make your audio description compelling.
How to add an audio description in T4
Once your second audio-described version of your video exists, you simply add its URL (web address from the browser address bar) to the “Audio description” field in the Media embed item. The words “and audio description” will appear on your web page in the link generated by the media name. And the audio-described version of the video will appear on the video transcript page in place of the original (non-audio-described) video.
You only need to add the URL into this "audio description" field if you have a second video.
Additional information
The World Wide Web Consortium (which came up with the guidelines embedded in the accessibility regulations) has produce more detailed guidance on planning for audio description:
Examples of audio described videos
We have two audio-described versions of University of Derby videos to show you. The first is an example of an audio description in a visual sequence with no dialogue.
The second video uses freeze frames to insert description of the action between the existing dialogue.
