A study on the application of the audio - description technique for the cinematic entertainment of visually impaired people with special reference to Sri Lankan audience

Abstract

Audio - description is an audio track that narrates the relevant visual information presented on the screen. Gregory Frazier introduced audio - description technique for the “television for the blind,” in 1974. Though this technique is adopted in international cinema, its application cannot be seen in Sri Lankan cinema for the benefit of visually impaired people. The research was focused mainly on the level of cinematic entertainment of visually impaired children in Sri Lankan society. The main objective of this research work is to make film directors aware of the need to add audio-descriptive reading to films to make them suitable for visually impaired children to enjoy, and to create a suitable audience for visually impaired people in Sri Lankan society. The information about the way of enjoying a cinematic creation of a blind child was accessed by the means of suggestion and ideas, and through interviews done among selected children in the 13-15 age limit. As a conclusion, this research was conducted to fill the gap in the strategy that can be presented for the cinematic entertainment of visually impaired people in Sri Lanka. Moreover, the information extracted is positive regarding the appreciation of cinema.