audiobeschrijving

Audiobeschrijving, in English often called audio description or descriptive narration, is an accessibility service that provides spoken descriptions of visual elements in television programs, films, theatre performances, and online video for people who are blind or visually impaired. The narration is added as a separate audio track or interleaved with the main soundtrack, typically occurring during natural pauses in dialogue or between scenes. The description covers settings, characters’ actions and expressions, costumes, on-screen text, and other visual details necessary to understand what is happening.

Implementation can be pre-recorded, produced after filming and synchronized with the program, or delivered live for stage performances and events using a separate channel or wireless headset. In broadcasting and streaming, the audio description track is offered as an optional option that users can enable on compatible devices, often with language choices.

Writing and quality guidelines emphasize clarity, conciseness, and neutrality. Descriptions are objective and factual, focused on what is visible and relevant to the storyline, and are presented in the present tense. The narration aims to support comprehension without replacing dialogue or original storytelling, avoiding subjective judgments or spoilers when possible.

Impact and availability vary by country, platform, and title. Many broadcasters and streaming services offer audio description in multiple languages, but availability can be inconsistent. Users typically need appropriate hardware (headphones or a speaker channel and a compatible device) to access the AD track.

See also: accessibility, captioning, descriptive video service.