As a person with low vision that is highly sensitive to flashing lights, I often engage with primary source videos and videos of current events with my eyes closed, auto-play turned off, or the video window hidden from view. This isn’t because I want to ignore what is happening, but things like low video resolution, poor contrast, flashing lights, shaky cameras, and fast movements can make it challenging for me to follow along visually or be physically painful or disorienting to watch. Accessibility supports like audio description and video description make it possible for me to engage with these videos independently, and today I will be sharing my tips for how to describe primary source videos and video journalism clips for visually impaired audiences.
VIDEO DESCRIPTIONS FOR VISUALLY IMPAIRED: TEXT-BASED AND AUDIO DESCRIPTIONS
As short-form video content has become more prevalent, two different styles of video descriptions for visually impaired audiences have become viable options for making video clips accessible for people with vision loss, including the use of audio descriptions and text-based video descriptions.
Audio description, sometimes referred to as descriptive audio or described video, is an additional narration track designed with nonvisual access in mind, providing details for all key visual elements of a video so that audiences with visual impairments (inclusive of blind/low vision) can understand what is happening. Audio description is delivered during natural pauses in dialogue or music, providing additional context for what is going on or providing clarification for what is happening on screen. Most audio description content posted online is “open”, meaning that it does not require any special equipment or headphones to listen to.
In this context, video descriptions provide a text-based description of visual elements in a video, acting as a transcript or summary that the viewer can read either with large print, a screen reader, or a braille display. The viewer may use the text-based description to provide additional context for what they are watching or to help fill in blanks after watching a video, ultimately answering the question “what did I just watch?”
The primary difference between audio description and video descriptions in this context is that audio descriptions describe everything going on except for what is communicated by sound or verbal description; the focus is on what isn’t being said or heard. For video descriptions, the audio may be mentioned when it comes to describing song choice or writing a transcript of spoken content, but the primary focus is still on describing visual elements of the video.
WHICH IS BETTER: AUDIO DESCRIPTION OR VIDEO DESCRIPTIONS?
When it comes to watching videos and understanding what is happening in real time, audio description provides viewers with the most “immersive” experience, as they do not have to look away from the video or otherwise change how they are watching it to hear the description. Text-based video descriptions on the other hand are located in a caption or separate file, so they require the viewer to look away from the video they are watching to focus on reading.
Video descriptions can also be a helpful educational tool for other disabilities, as it provides an objective description of what is happening, providing users with information they need to fully understand the video or to provide an alternative to watching content visually.
Related links
- Creating Audio Description For Viral Videos With YouDescribe
- How To Write Video Descriptions For Animal Videos
- Avoiding Flashing Lights On Social Media
- How I Watch Concert Videos Without Strobe Lights
Options for creating audio description and video description for primary source videos
There are a few options for creating audio description for primary source videos as well as for sharing text-based video descriptions. Examples of tools I have personally used and that work well with assistive technology include:
- Reposting or resharing videos with credit to the original poster that have audio description and/or video descriptions added. One example of this I saw on a social media feed was a split-screen view of the primary source video and a blank screen where a narrator described what was happening in real time. It’s difficult to record primary source videos or engage in video journalism while effectively providing narration or description, so I recommend adding descriptions “in post” or after the video is recorded in these high-stress scenarios
- One option for adding audio description to publicly posted YouTube videos is the free YouDescribe web application, which offers options for recording inline descriptions that play alongside the video, as well as extended descriptions that allow creators to pause videos and go into more detail about what is happening.
- For videos recorded on an iOS device, the Clips application can be used to add additional narration to videos and record audio description. It can also generate captions in large print.
- When posting videos on platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, a video description can be shared or linked in the video caption or description, so that users can read the description on their own. Alternatively, a comment containing description can be pinned to the top of a feed, or an external link can be posted with an extended description.
Unlike captions, audio description and video description cannot be automatically generated, and will need to be written by someone watching the video.
Inline audio description vs extended audio description
Inline description plays concurrently with the video audio and do not require any pauses. Inline description can be used where dialogue or background sounds are not important, during natural pauses in dialogue, or during transition scenes.
With extended description, the video is paused while the audio description plays, and then continues when the description is finished. I recommend using extended description for videos where sounds are important, or for longer descriptions. Both types of description can be used in a video.
Related links
- How To Create Audio Description For YouTube With YouDescribe
- How To Create Accessible Videos and Narrated Images With Clips
- Options For Writing Extended Image Descriptions On Social Media
- How To Write Video Descriptions For TikTok
How to describe primary source videos for visually impaired audiences
When it comes to learning how to write video descriptions for primary source videos, I find it helpful to use an informal “checklist” of helpful information to describe, which focus on elements of the video that are essential to understanding what is happening and that would be likely to come up when talking about the video in conversation. While not all of these details may apply to an individual video or be shared in this exact order, here are examples of elements to include:
Time and location where the video is being filmed, if known
In the context of video journalism and primary source videos, the time, date, and approximate location of where a video is being filmed can be essential to understanding what is happening. If the exact location is not disclosed in the video caption or other tags and is not easily recognizable (e.g. outside the White House or a place where street signs are visible), the describer should not try to guess where the person is. As for time, knowing if a video is taking place during the day or at night can also be significant for understanding context.
Information about the surrounding area
Is it raining in the video? Are there lots of police cars surrounding a street? It can be helpful to share names of landmarks, descriptions of buildings, and if areas are especially crowded or deserted. While things like a stop sign in the background may not have any significance or contribute to understanding a video or what is happening, it would be important to include information about damage to the surrounding area, if the stop sign has graffiti on it, or if it was on fire or otherwise deviating from its standard appearance or purpose. Alternatively, I might expect to see a stop sign on the street, but I would want to know if there was a stop sign being held by someone or if it was inside a building.
There’s also no need to describe what common objects look like, as many people will have a visual model for what a traffic cone is or what graffiti writing looks like. However, the goal of the video isn’t to explain what these items are, but rather why they are significant in a given context.
Descriptions of people within view of the camera
Who is speaking in the video, or who is visible within view of the camera? What do they look like? Depending on the context of the video being shared, visual descriptions can include the type of clothing being worn, the race/ethnicity of video subjects, their gender, age, or similar information. The level of detail that is appropriate will vary depending on the context in which the video is being shared. It can also help to know how large crowds are, though exact precise values may not be necessary unless they represent something— for example, knowing there are exactly 403 people in a line may not be relevant to communicating that there is a large crowd, unless the number 403 is significant to the event.
If a person identifies themselves by name on a profile or in a video, it is okay to include the subject’s name when writing a description, or to identify them by their username (e.g. “Twitter user @veron4ica walks down the street”). However, if the describer recognizes someone in the video who has not identified themselves or disclosed their identity (like a friend or family member), they should not add their name to the video description if this could compromise their safety.
Items in the environment
Are people holding signs that have text or images on them? What do they say? If it is significant to the video, other details such as clothing and other items can be acknowledged, such as the use of shields or other protective gear. Symbolic items or scenes should also be mentioned if they provide context, such as the ground being covered in broken glass or the camera panning to something on fire.
Body language and movement
While there’s no need to describe what someone’s voice sounds like when recording audio description since the viewer can hear the voice for themselves, it’s helpful to provide descriptions of body language or nonverbal communication such as ducking, or movement through a space such as running that would not otherwise be obvious by just listening to the video alone. A good example of how to figure out what should be described is to think about how this video would be described in a conversation— what would the conversation partner need to know about what the video looks like in order to form an opinion of it?
Direct language, no euphemisms
Video descriptions are not meant for the narrator to communicate their own opinions or tell the audience what they should think or how they should respond— the goal is to present this information so the audience can come to their own conclusion. This can be more difficult if the narrator uses euphemisms or decides to censor language, which can make it harder for the audience to know what is going on or take what is happening seriously.
Related links
- How To Write Image Descriptions For Buildings and Architecture
- How To Describe Dance Choreography Videos For Visually Impaired
- How To Write Alt Text and Image Descriptions for the Visually Impaired
More resources for creating accessible primary source content for visually impaired audiences
- How I Access Historical Documents With Low Vision
- Writing Media Descriptions For Current Events: My Talk At Protest Access-A-Thon
- How To Write Alt Text And Image Descriptions For Photojournalism Images
- Accessing The News With Assistive Technology
- Tips For Censoring Text With Accessibility In Mind
- Options For Writing Extended Image Descriptions On Social Media
Published May 30, 2020. Updated November 2024