EASIT, Easy Access for Social Inclusion Training.
Unit 3B. Easy to understand and audio description.
Element 1. Processes.
Sample 1: Teatro Real.
This video includes an interview with Javier Jiménez Dorado
director and founding member of Aptent.
Aptent is devoted to the provision of accessibility services
for people with sensory and/or cognitive disabilities.
In this interview, Javier talks about audio explanations nowadays,
to what extent these recordings are accessible for all
and how they could be improved.
Hello, my name is Ana Pereira
and I work at Universidade de Vigo, Spain.
It's a pleasure to be here with Javier Jiménez Dorado
to talk about audio explanations and easy-to-read texts.
Hi, Javier. How are you?
Hello, Ana. I'm well. Thank you for inviting me.
Thank you.
Before we start with everything Javier has to tell us
let me briefly introduce him.
He is the founder and director of Aptent.
Aptent is a technology-based company that provides accessibility services
in theatres, opera, media, on-site and online events, congresses, etc.
Its goal is to create a world free of barriers
for people with sensory and cognitive disabilities.
We would like him to share with us
his experience in creating easy-to-understand audio explanations.
So, our first question is...
Could you explain what audio explanations are
where the accessibility service is used and provided
and who it is intended for?
The floor is yours.
Alright. Well, let's see... Audio explanations,
which some people call easy audio,
is a cognitive accessibility service based on the concept of easy to read
which shares many similarities with regards to audio description
in the way we work with it, at least.
For example, the audio description of a play or a film
has a goal, which is to facilitate the comprehension of the product
that is, the recording of the show
to people with cognitive and intellectual disabilities
or comprehension difficulties.
They are usually voice recordings
that have been created in easy to read,
which have also been approved
according to the methodology of easy to read
validated by a working group of people with intellectual disabilities.
These voice recordings are included during pauses when there's no dialogue
so as not to interfere with it.
And they are used to explain the meaning of difficult words
to clarify what is happening, to remind of a significant past event.
And without interfering too much in the process
you can create and offer that accessibility.
What is the process like?
What are the phases of the creation of audio explanations?
How are they created?
Well...
Regarding the part that resembles audio description...
The process and what is delivered are very similar
but there are certain nuances.
Generally speaking, the phases would be as follows.
The first step is to always analyse the work as a whole.
At the same time, we can start pinpointing the gaps
as well as the difficulty and potential problems
and maybe compile materials, research information, etc.
In the second phase, after the analysis,
we can start working on the script.
This work is usually done by a qualified professional,
in this case with experience in cognitive accessibility
so as to identify which issues need to be addressed
in the space we have and so on.
The main difference here is that
the review process is carried out not only by peers, as it's usually done
but the results are also reviewed by people with disabilities,
which comes from the methodology of easy to read.
This working group can make changes, suggestions and modifications,
which then undergo that same process.
Once the text has been reviewed and approved for the next phase
the voice-over can begin.
Once the voice-over is done
depending on whether it's a play or an audiovisual product
it will require different preparation or technical editing.
Before delivering the product to the customer
a final review or quality control check is always carried out by another person
to make sure that there are no errors and that all standards are met.
How do you transform a product
like an interview with a specialist into an easy-to-understand audio?
Can the audio be removed and dubbed in easy to understand?
Is that possible?
Well, there are always products that are difficult to adapt.
In this case, what we usually do
is follow the rule of not interfering with the dialogue.
We believe that is the most appropriate way
as we don't want to modify the original.
We also follow the experience and guidelines
in the UNE standard.
I'm sorry, I can't remember it now.
The 153020 or something like that I think it is.
The audiodescription one.
The standard UNE 153020 on audio description, yes.
There's no standard for easy to understand or audio explanations
so we use that one.
If there are not many gaps,
a common strategy that is used in audio description
is to include explanations at the beginning of the interview.
You may have to anticipate what will come up
but if you do preliminary work
which in the context of audiodescription is called audio introduction...
If you make an audio introduction that explains in easy to read
things that you can't explain later because there is no time
that is an advantage.
Then you'd use the few gaps available.
In any case, it depends on the interview and the context.
It could be an option to create another version.
In this sense, we should make a distinction...
We can create an adapted version of the content
and in that case, if they give us permission,
as you said, we can edit the original product
and either force the gaps by pausing the video
and inserting a voice-over track that offers explanations.
Or we can make a fully dubbed version explaining what is necessary.
There are those two approaches.
Right.
Do you think these services could be used in other contexts?
And in which ones?
Yes, of course they can.
In the past few months,
we've worked with a publishing company
that produces books in easy to read.
The book was created using easy-to-read language.
However, they also added QR codes in the corners of each page
so that readers can listen to the book in an easy-to-read version.
In this case
the product was fully accessible from the start.
However, this strategy can be applied
to any book or document that can have a QR code added to it
so that it offers an accessible easy-to-read version.
When talking about audio explanations with people that use this service
have they ever pointed out negative or positive aspects
or expressed preferences or posed any suggestions
when it comes to audio explanations?
What feedback did users give you?
Well, in my opinion,
the group that benefits from this cognitive accessibility
is wide and heterogeneous.
More so than any other group of people with disabilities
that has difficulties to access communication
in general terms, which is my focus.
The point is...
Sometimes...
Since we have so many limitations, as we said
in terms of time and physical space to adapt the product
it is difficult to create a version that satisfies everyone.
Then you may find that in the review process
corrections, modifications or suggestions have been made.
For that reason...
That's why I think that in this service
it is important to follow the rule of undergoing a review
so that the product can benefit from that personal touch.
It's also true, as I have discussed with other colleagues,
that the groups reviewing this are small
and the target audience is also heterogeneous.
It is not the same case as for other disabilities
such as visual or hearing impairments
which are groups whose needs are way more standardised, in a way
and they are...
They are better known or more common.
In any case...
The goal is to always try to do our best.
I think that the more we work on this
the better the technique will be, we will create standards
and I think we will find ways to ensure...
To make sure...
To make sure that the probability that these accessibility services work
for as many people as possible increases over time.
Thank you so much for your time and your availability, Javier.
Surely, all this information you've shared with us
will help us to better understand this area of accessibility.
Perfect.
Well, thank you, Ana.
Good luck with the project.
I can't wait to see the results.
This video was prepared by Ana Pereira Rodríguez
from Universidade de Vigo
and Javier Jiménez Dorado from Aptent.
It was produced by Jesús Meiriño-Gómez
from Universidade de Vigo.
EASIT has received funding from the EC programme
Erasmus+ Strategic Partnerships for Higher Education
grant agreement 2018-1-ES01-KA203-05275.
The EC support for this publication
does not endorse the contents
which reflect the authors' views.
The EC cannot be held responsible
for any use of the information contained therein.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution
ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Partners of the EASIT project:
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona.
Università Degli Studi Di Trieste.
Universidade de Vigo.
Stiftung Universität Hildesheim.
SDI München.
Dyslexiförbundet.
Radiotelevizija Slovenja.
Zavod RISA.
EASIT. Easy Access for Social Inclusion Training.