Audio description and the spectrum of materiality: Gaining blindness through narrative negotiation
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5007/2175-7968.2025.e106503Palavras-chave:
audio description, narrative negotiation, spectrum of materiality, blindness gainResumo
This article explores how audio description (AD) actively contributes to storytelling by engaging with the material and sensory dimensions of audiovisual content. Building on the broader philosophical tensions between objectivity and subjectivity, it reconceptualizes AD as a co-creative and interpretive process that transcends the neutrality traditionally demanded by the audiovisual industry. Drawing on Hannah Thompson’s (2017) concept of “blindness gain” and Marco Caracciolo’s (2023) “spectrum of materiality”, the study highlights AD’s dynamic role in shaping narrative meaning. Thompson repositions blindness as a source of perceptual and creative insight, while Caracciolo (2023) emphasizes the relational and transformative potential of materiality in narrative engagement. By synthesizing these perspectives for the first time, this article frames AD as a relational practice deeply intertwined with the sensory and material properties of audiovisual source texts. Through a comparative analysis of two ADs for the Belgian-Israeli miniseries Rough Diamonds (Shamir et al., 2023; Shamir & Verheyden, 2023)—one by Netflix and the other by VRT, Flanders’ public broadcaster—the article highlights contrasting approaches to material engagement. The Netflix AD prioritizes clarity and spatial coherence, reflecting fixed and determinate materialities that subtly reinforce ocularcentric paradigms. In contrast, the VRT AD employs abstraction and nuance, aligning with vibrant materialities that enhance the narrative’s symbolic and emotional dimensions. These divergent strategies reveal the limitations of the current neutrality standard in AD, which often overlooks its interpretive and generative nature. By situating AD within a framework that integrates blindness gain and materiality, the study reimagines AD as a culturally resonant practice that enriches audiovisual storytelling through multisensory and culturally resonant engagement. Ultimately, this article positions AD as a dynamic medium for narrative negotiation, encouraging further interdisciplinary research into its co-creative material possibilities.
Referências
Adams, E. (2024). Audio description for all? The benefits and concerns of extending access provision to sighted people. Curator: The Museum Journal, 68(2), 387–403. https://doi.org/10.1111/cura.12659
Ahmed, S. (2006). Queer Phenomenology: Orientations, Objects, Others. Duke University Press.
Barad, K. (2007). Meeting the Universe Halfway: Quantum Physics and the Entanglement of Matter and Meaning. Duke University Press.
Bardini, F. (2020). Film language, film emotions and the experience of blind and partially sighted viewers: A reception study. The Journal of Specialized Translation, 33, 259–280.
Bartolini, C. (2023). Museum Audio Descriptions vs. General Audio Guides: Describing or Interpreting Cultural Heritage? Journal of Audiovisual Translation, 6(2), 77–98. https://doi.org/10.47476/jat.v6i2.2023.253
Bauman, H.-D. L., & Murray, J. J. (2014). Deaf Gain: Raising the Stakes for Human Diversity. University of Minnesota Press.
Bogucki, Ł., & Deckert, M. (Eds.). (2020). The Palgrave Handbook of Audiovisual Translation and Media Accessibility. Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-42105-2
Braun, S. (2011). Creating Coherence in Audio Description. Meta : Journal Des Traducteurs, 56(3), 645–662. https://doi.org/10.7202/1008338ar
Brown, B. (2001). Thing Theory. Critical Inquiry, 28(1), 1–22.
Brown, B. (2019). Other Things. University of Chicago Press.
Burge, T. (2010). Origins of Objectivity. Oxford University Press.
Butler, J. (2005). Giving an Account of Oneself. Fordham University Press. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt13x01rf
Caracciolo, M. (2023). Contemporary Narrative and the Spectrum of Materiality. De Gruyter. https://doi.org/10.1515/9783111142562
Cavallo, A. (2015). Seeing the word, hearing the image: The artistic possibilities of audio description in theatrical performance. Research in Drama Education: The Journal of Applied Theatre and Performance, 20(1), 125–134. https://doi.org/10.1080/13569783.2014.983892
Choi, J., Kim, K. H., & Evans, J. (2023). Translation and streaming in a changing world. Target. International Journal of Translation Studies, 35(3), 319–330. https://doi.org/10.1075/target.00020.cho
Chottin, M., & Thompson, H. (2021). Blindness Gain as World-Making: Creative Audiodescription as a new “partage du sensible”. L’esprit Créateur, 61(4), 32–44. https://doi.org/10.1353/esp.2021.0045
Daston, L., & Galison, P. (2007). Objectivity. Zone Books.
Di Giovanni, E. (2014). Visual and narrative priorities of the blind and non-blind: Eye tracking and audio description. Perspectives, 22(1), 136–153. https://doi.org/10.1080/0907676X.2013.769610
Eardley, A. F., Jones, V. E., Bywood, L., Thompson, H., & Husbands, D. (2024). The W-ICAD model: Redefining museum access through the Workshop for Inclusive Co-created Audio Description. Curator: The Museum Journal, 68, 219–242. https://doi.org/10.1111/cura.12649
Ellis, K., Kent, M., & Locke, K. (2018). The Preferred User: How Audio Description could Change Understandings of Australian Television Audiences and Media Technology. Cultural Science Journal, 10(1), 7–16. https://doi.org/10.5334/csci.105
Fryer, L. (2010). Audio description as audio drama – a practitioner’s point of view. Perspectives, 18(3), 205–213. https://doi.org/10.1080/0907676X.2010.485681
Fryer, L. (2016). An Introduction to Audio Description: A practical guide. Routledge.
Fryer, L. (2018a). Staging the Audio Describer: An Exploration of Integrated Audio Description. Disability Studies Quarterly, 38(3). https://doi.org/10.18061/dsq.v38i3.6490
Fryer, L. (2018b). The independent audio describer is dead: Long live audio description! Journal of Audiovisual Translation, 1(1), 170.
Fryer, L. (2023). Erasure or over-exposure? Finding the balance in describing diversity. The Journal of Specialised Translation, (39), 11–25. https://doi.org/10.26034/cm.jostrans.2023.064
Fryer, L., & Freeman, J. (2013). Cinematic language and the description of film: Keeping AD users in the frame. Perspectives, 21(3), 412–426. https://doi.org/10.1080/0907676X.2012.693108
Genette, G. (1980). Narrative Discourse: An Essay in Method. Cornell University Press.
Greco, G. M. (2016). On Accessibility as a Human Right, with an Application to Media Accessibility. In A. Matamala & P. Orero (Eds.), Researching Audio Description: New Approaches (pp. 11–33). Palgrave Macmillan UK. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-56917-2_2
Greco Maria, G., & Romero-Fresco, P. (2023). Universalist, user-centred, and proactive approaches in media accessibility: The way forward. The Journal of Specialised Translation, (39), 3–10. https://doi.org/10.26034/cm.jostrans.2023.063
Greenblatt, S. (1988). Shakespearean Negotiations: The Circulation of Social Energy in Renaissance England. University of California Press.
Greening, J., Rai, S., & Leen, P. (2010). A comparative study of audio description guidelines prevalent in different countries. MAP.
Hadley, B., & Rieger, J. (2021). Co-designing choice: Objectivity, aesthetics and agency in audio-description. Museum Management and Curatorship, 36(2), 189–203. https://doi.org/10.1080/09647775.2021.1878469
Haraway, D. (1988). Situated Knowledges: The Science Question in Feminism and the Privilege of Partial Perspective. Feminist Studies, 14(3), 575. https://doi.org/10.2307/3178066
Herman, D. (2002). Story Logic: Problems and Possibilities of Narrative. University of Nebraska Press.
Herman, L., & Vervaeck, B. (2009). Narrative Interest as Cultural Negotiation. Narrative, 17(1), 111–129.
Herman, L., & Vervaeck, B. (2017). A Theory of Narrative in Culture. Poetics Today, 38(4), 605–634. https://doi.org/10.1215/03335372-4184265
Hoet, C. (2023, June 14). ‘Rough Diamonds’: Knap gemaakt, maar waarom zo’n clichématige macho als hoofdpersonage? De Morgen. https://www.demorgen.be/tv-cultuur/rough-diamonds-knap-gemaakt-maar-waarom-zo-n-clichematige-macho-als-hoofdpersonage~b6ed2220/
Hutchinson, R., Thompson, H., & Cock, Matthew. (2020). Describing Diversity: An exploration of the description of human characteristics and appearance within the practice of theatre audio description. Vocal Eyes. https://vocaleyes.co.uk/research/describing-diversity/
Jay, M. (1993). Downcast Eyes: The Denigration of Vision in Twentieth-Century French Thought. University of California Press.
Josephs, A. (2023, May 1). Rough Diamonds Is Quite Authentic And Also Dabbles In Antisemitic Tropes. Jew in the City. https://jewinthecity.com/2023/05/rough-diamonds-achieves-authenticity-and-also-dabbles-in-some-antisemitic-tropes/
Keil, B. (2025). Morning Blessings. A guide to the traditional Shachrit (morning) service. My Jewish Learning. https://www.myjewishlearning.com/texts/Liturgy_and_Prayers/Siddur_Prayer_Book/Morning_blessings.shtml
Kleege, G. (2010). Blind Faith. The Yale Review, 98(3), 57–67. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9736.2010.00623.x
Kleege, G. (2016). Audio Description Described: Current Standards, Future Innovations, Larger Implications. Representations, 135(1), 89–101. https://doi.org/10.1525/rep.2016.135.1.89
Kleege, G., & Wallin, S. (2015). Audio Description as a Pedagogical Tool. Disability Studies Quarterly, 35(2). https://doi.org/10.18061/dsq.v35i2.4622
Korthals Altes, L. (2014). Ethos and Narrative Interpretation: The Negotiation of Values in Fiction. University of Nebraska Press. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt1d9nm18
Kruger, J.-L., & Orero, P. (2010). Audio description, audio narration – a new era in AVT. Perspectives, 18(3), 141–142. https://doi.org/10.1080/0907676X.2010.487664
Latour, B. (2005). Reassembling the Social: An Introduction to Actor-Network-Theory. Oxford University Press.
Lewis, E. (2021, February 2). Benefits of Audio Description, Even for Those Without Vision Loss. 3Play Media. https://www.3playmedia.com/blog/benefits-audio-description-even-without-vision-loss/
López, A. T. (2023). Audio Description Guidelines: UNE 153020 Standard and Netflix Style Guide.
Lopez, M., Kearney, G., & Hofstadter, K. (2021). Enhancing Audio Description: Inclusive Cinematic Experiences Through Sound Design. Journal of Audiovisual Translation, 4(1), 157–182. https://doi.org/10.47476/jat.v4i1.2021.154
Massidda, S. (2023). Disruptive AVT workflows in the age of streaming: The Netflix equation. Target. International Journal of Translation Studies, 35(3), 455–475. https://doi.org/10.1075/target.00021.mas
Massumi, B. (2002). Parables for the Virtual: Movement, Affect, Sensation. Duke University Press.
Mazur, I. (2024). Same film, different audio descriptions: Describing foreign films from a functional perspective. Universal Access in the Information Society, 23(2), 511–521. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10209-023-00998-9
Mazur, I., & Chmiel, A. (2012). Towards common European audio description guidelines: Results of the Pear Tree Project. Perspectives, 20(1), 5–23. https://doi.org/10.1080/0907676X.2011.632687
Mazur, I., & Chmiel, A. (2021). Audio description training: A snapshot of the current practices. The Interpreter and Translator Trainer, 15(1), 51–65. https://doi.org/10.1080/1750399X.2021.1880263
Merleau-Ponty, M. (2013). Phenomenology of Perception. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203720714
My Jewish Learning. (2025a). Ritual Hand Washing Before Meals. My Jewish Learning. https://www.myjewishlearning.com/practices/Ritual/Prayer/Blessings/Hand_Washing.shtml
My Jewish Learning. (2025b). The Shema. My Jewish Learning. https://www.myjewishlearning.com/texts/Liturgy_and_Prayers/Siddur_Prayer_Book/Shema.shtml
Netflix. (2023). Audio Description Style Guide v2.5. Netflix Studios. https://partnerhelp.netflixstudios.com/hc/en-us/articles/215510667-Audio-Description-Style-Guide-v2-5
Perego, E. (2016). Gains and losses of watching audio described films for sighted viewers. Target. International Journal of Translation Studies, 28(3), 424–444. https://doi.org/10.1075/TARGET.28.3.04PER
Perego, E. (2018). Audio description: Evolving recommendations for usable, effective and enjoyable practices. In L. Pérez-González (Ed.), The Routledge Handbook of Audiovisual Translation (114–129). Routledge.
Prime Video. (2024). Audio Description Style Guide. Prime Video. https://m.media-amazon.com/images/G/01/CooperWebsite/dvp/downloads/AD_Style_Guide_Prime_Video.pdf
Ramos Caro, M. (2016). Testing audio narration: The emotional impact of language in audio description. Perspectives, 24(4), 606–634. https://doi.org/10.1080/0907676X.2015.1120760
Remael, A., Reviers, N., & Vercauteren, G. (Eds.). (2015). Pictures Painted in Words: ADLAB Audio Description Guidelines. EUT.
Reviers, N., & Hanoulle, S. (2023). Aesthetics and Participation in Accessible Art Experiences: Reflections on an Action Research Project of an Audio Guide. Journal of Audiovisual Translation, 6(2), 99–121. https://doi.org/10.47476/jat.v6i2.2023.277
Romero-Fresco, P. (2019). Accessible Filmmaking: Integrating translation and accessibility into the filmmaking process. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429053771
Romero-Fresco, P., & Brown, W. (2023). Reconsidering the balance between standardisation and creativity in media accessibility: Notes on training. The Journal of Specialised Translation, (39), 140–164. https://doi.org/10.26034/cm.jostrans.2023.070
Romero-Muñoz, A. (2023). Multimodal Analysis as a Way to Operationalise Objectivity in Audio Description: A Corpus-based Study of Spanish Series on Netflix. Journal of Audiovisual Translation, 6(2), 8–32. https://doi.org/10.47476/jat.v6i2.2023.251
Schaeffer-Lacroix, E., Reviers, N., & Giovanni, E. D. (2023). Beyond Objectivity in Audio Description: New Practices and Perspectives. Journal of Audiovisual Translation, 6(2), 1–7. https://doi.org/10.47476/jat.v6i2.2023.309
Shamir, R., Theys, J., Yefet, Y., & Netanyahu, Y. (Writers). (2023). Rough Diamonds. Episode 1 [Mini Series]. Netflix & VRT.
Shamir, R., & Verheyden, C. (Directors). (2023). Rough Diamonds. Episode 1 [Mini Series]. Netflix & VRT.
Silverman, H. J. (Ed.). (2014). Questioning Foundations: Truth, Subjectivity and Culture. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315831879
Snyder, J. (2013). Audio Description: Seeing With the Mind’s Eye—A Comprehensive Training Manual and Guide to the History and Applications of Audio Description. [Doctoral Thesis]. Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. http://hdl.handle.net/10803/126520
Starr, K., & Braun, S. (2024). Omissions and inferential meaning-making in audio description, and implications for automating video content description. Universal Access in the Information Society, 23(3), 1287–1302. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10209-023-01045-3
Szarkowska, A. (2013). Auteur Description: From the Director’s Creative Vision to Audio Description. Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, 107(5), 383–387. https://doi.org/10.1177/0145482X1310700507
Szarkowska, A., & Jankowska, A. (2024). Introducing Audiovisual Translation. Routledge.
Tancredi, M., Lorier, L., Boria, Y., & Fascioli-Alvarez, F. (2023). Deaf translators in audiovisual media: The case of an inclusive and co-creative laboratory in Uruguay. The Journal of Specialised Translation, (39), 117–139. https://doi.org/10.26034/cm.jostrans.2023.069
Taylor, C., & Perego, E. (2022). The Routledge Handbook of Audio Description. Routledge.
Thompson, H. (2017). Reviewing Blindness in French Fiction, 1789–2013. Palgrave Macmillan UK. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-43511-8
Thompson, H. (2018a). Audio Description: Turning Access to Film into Cinema Art. Disability Studies Quarterly, 38(3). https://doi.org/10.18061/dsq.v38i3.6487
Thompson, H. (2018b, October 5). Blind Spot: Blindness Gain and the Art of Non-Visual Reading. Blind Spot. https://hannah-thompson.blogspot.com/2018/10/blindness-gain-and-art-of-non-visual.html
Thompson, H., & Warne, V. (2018). Blindness Arts: An Introduction. Disability Studies Quarterly, 38(3). https://doi.org/10.18061/dsq.v38i3.6480
Udo, J. P., & Fels, D. I. (2009). “Suit the Action to the Word, the Word to the Action”: An Unconventional Approach to Describing Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, 103(3), 178–183. https://doi.org/10.1177/0145482X0910300307
Vercauteren, G. (2012). A narratological approach to content selection in audio description: Towards a strategy for the description of narratological time. MonTI. Monografías de Traducción e Interpretación, 4, 207–231. https://doi.org/10.6035/MonTI.2012.4.9
Vizel, F. (2018, March 15). Hasidic marital purity laws. Tours by Frieda. https://friedavizel.com/2018/03/15/from-quora-are-hasidic-jewish-women-allowed-to-sleep-in-bed-with-their-husbands-while-on-their-menstrual-period/
Vlaams Audiovisueel Fonds (VAF). (2025). Productie audiodescriptie. Vlaams Audiovisueel Fonds. https://www.vaf.be/voor-de-sector/toegankelijkheid/audiodescriptie/aanlevering
VRT. (2023, October 30). Achter de schermen bij Rough diamonds: “Wat speelt er zich achter die deuren af?”. VRT. https://www.vrt.be/nl/over-ons/nieuws-over-vrt/achter-de-schermen-bij-rough-diamonds-wat-speelt-er-zich-achter-die-deuren-af
Walczak, A. (2017). Creative Description: Audio Describing Artistic Films for Individuals with Visual Impairments. Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, 111(4), 387–391. https://doi.org/10.1177/0145482X1711100410
Zabrocka, M. (2018). Rhymed and traditional audio description according to the blind and partially sighted audience: Results of a pilot study on creative audio description. The Journal of Specialised Translation, 29, 212–236. https://doi.org/10.26034/cm.jostrans.2018.219
Downloads
Publicado
Como Citar
Edição
Seção
Licença
Copyright (c) 2025 Cadernos de Tradução
Este trabalho está licenciado sob uma licença Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Autores têm autorização para assumir contratos adicionais separadamente, para distribuição não exclusiva da versão do trabalho publicada nesta revista (ex.: publicar em repositório institucional ou como capítulo de livro, com reconhecimento de autoria e publicação inicial nesta revista).
