ABSTRACT

Purpose: This article’s aim is to discuss the potential of audio description (AD) in two contexts: (1) developmental and educational difficulties experienced by children with low vision or total blindness; (2) psycho-social importance of access to mass media by children and adolescents.

Method: The considerations presented here are formed on the basis of a literature review and – by referring to well-established theories – draw from several different fields, for example (typhlo)psychology, (typhlo)pedagogy, and media accessibility.

Results: The existing evidence base shows that visual stimuli are a spur in children to start conversation, which, in turn, supports acquisition of communication skills and new knowledge. This suggests psychological and educational consequences for children with severe visual impairment.

Conclusions: The present article explains why AD may be an effective tool to compensate for the lack of sight in children with severe visual impairment who may be missing out on important opportunities in terms of their overall growth and personal development. It also includes information for caregivers and teachers on why it is worth to use AD as a supportive tool for children with typical vision. The information provided may also act as a guideline for AD creators to reconsider the content and form of AD tracks, consequently optimizing the effectiveness of their products and increasing the social inclusion of children with visual impairment.

摘要

目的：本文的目的是在两种情况下讨论音频描述 (AD) 的潜力：(1) 弱视或完全失明儿童所经历的发育和教育困难；(2) 儿童和青少年接触大众媒体的心理社会重要性。

方法：此处提出的考虑是在文献综述的基础上形成的，并且通过参考成熟的理论，来自几个不同的领域，例如（typhlo）心理学、（typhlo）教育学和媒体可访问性。

结果：现有的证据基础表明，视觉刺激是儿童开始交谈的一种刺激，反过来，这又有助于获得沟通技巧和新知识。这表明严重视力障碍儿童的心理和教育后果。

结论：本文解释了为什么 AD 可能是一种有效的工具，可以弥补严重视力障碍儿童的视力缺陷，这些儿童可能会错过整体成长和个人发展的重要机会。它还包括为看护人和教师提供的信息，说明为什么值得使用 AD 作为具有典型视力的儿童的支持工具。所提供的信息还可作为 AD 创作者重新考虑 AD 曲目的内容和形式的指南，从而优化其产品的有效性并增加视障儿童的社会包容性。