Giving Visuals a Voice – the Impact of Audio Descriptions in Digital Learning

What Are Audio Descriptions?

An audio description is a narration added to a video’s soundtrack to describe important visual details that cannot be understood from the main audio alone. This additional narration provides key information about:

• actions,
• characters,
• scene changes,
• on-screen text, and,
• other visual content…making videos more accessible for individuals who are blind or an individual with a visual impairment.

Typically, these descriptions are inserted during existing pauses in dialogue. However, when necessary, a video can be paused to allow for additional descriptions. Depending on the platform, audio descriptions may be offered as an optional alternate soundtrack or integrated into the standard audio track for all viewers.

Nostalgic and Practical Examples

Initially, I found it challenging to fully understand the role of audio descriptions. The Audio Description Project recommended an excellent example that helped me understand how vital these narrations are for providing essential visual information. Here’s that example:

 In addition, here are some examples of audio descriptions in action in educational settings:

• Lecture Enhancement: Imagine an instructor points to a graph and says, “This is the most important trend.” Without additional context, students who cannot see the graph miss vital information. An audio description can clarify: “The instructor points to a rising trend in student engagement from 2020 to 2024.”
• Complex Scientific Content: In a biology video, the audio description could explain how an animation shows cell membranes passing through membrane channels.
• Art Courses: If a video shows artwork such as a painting, the audio description could provide details on the art, for example: “This painting shows different shades of blue and green colors with a yellow flower in the middle.”
• Laboratory Demonstrations: Students often watch videos showing chemistry experiments. The audio description could explain that “the scientist adds blue liquid to a clear solution in a test tube. The liquid turns green and starts bubbling.”

Promising Practices for Implementing Audio Descriptions

Here are some promising practices for adding audio descriptions into your digital learning content:

• Plan Ahead – When creating videos, consider adding audio descriptions in advance to ensure key visual details are covered. This way, you don’t have to add them back in later.
• Use Professional Narration – A clear, well-paced voice makes audio descriptions more effective and engaging.
• Ensure Compatibility – Test your videos on different platforms to confirm that users can easily access the description track.
• Gather Feedback – Solicit input from students and others who use audio descriptions to identify areas for improvement.

Additional Resources for Implementing Audio Descriptions

Are you ready to explore this topic and integrate audio descriptions into your content? Check out these resources for more guidance and best practices:

• National Center on Disability and Access to Education (NCDAE) – Provides resources, tools, and best practices for making educational content accessible, including audio descriptions;
• The Audio Description Project – From the American Council of the Blind, this resource provides comprehensive information on audio description initiatives: [Visit The Audio Description Project;
• W3C/WAI Overview of Audio Description – The official guide to meeting WCAG standards for audio descriptions;
• WebAIM (Web Accessibility In Mind) – Offers training, resources, and guidelines on web accessibility, including video accessibility.

The WCET Commitment to Accessibility

At WCET, we believe that accessibility is fundamental to digital learning. By implementing audio descriptions, institutions can create a learning environment that supports all students.

This blog post was written by Lindsey Downs with editing assistance from ChatGPT and Megan Raymond.