The SOCINTEGRA team develops professional audio descriptions that comply with accessibility standards, including EU regulations CEN/TC 452 and the Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMSD). Audio description is the verbal narration of visual elements in artworks, events, and media content, enabling people with visual impairments to perceive form, storyline, action, and atmosphere on an equal footing with sighted audiences.

Audio description is an essential tool for creating inclusive culture, education, and society. We are pleased that cultural institutions in Latvia – including theatres, museums, and others – are gradually introducing audio description in cooperation with SOCINTEGRA to make their offerings accessible to all groups in society.

Audio descriptions provide not only informational value but also expand the boundaries of accessibility, helping people with diverse needs enjoy a full and rich experience.

What SOCINTEGRA offers:

-       Content analysis and script development, taking into account artistic goals and EU requirements

-       Studio recording or live commentary by professional narrators

-       Testing in focus groups with blind and partially sighted users

-       Translation of ready-made audio descriptions into Latvian, Russian, English, and other languages, considering cultural nuances

Areas of application

Audio description is used to describe both static and dynamic forms of art and culture. For static exhibits – paintings, sculptures, architectural objects, or museum artifacts – audio description focuses on size, form, texture, colors, and composition. For example, in a museum, it can convey the mood of a painting by describing how the light falls on the landscape or give an idea of the roughness of a sculpture’s surface and its spatial arrangement.

For dynamic works – films, series, theatre performances, ballet, concerts, sports events, or fashion shows – the main task is to keep pace with the event and synchronously convey emotions and atmosphere. In cinema, audio description can clarify non-verbal actions such as a character’s gaze or a pause that changes the scene’s tone. During a sports match, it allows following the key moments – the ball’s movement, players’ actions, and the audience’s reaction. At a fashion show, it can describe the style, material, and details of the outfits that might otherwise go unnoticed.

In this way, audio description makes art, culture, and entertainment experiences accessible and equivalent, allowing everyone to fully enjoy events where visual aspects play a key role.

Who benefits from audio description?

-       People with visual impairments: SOCINTEGRA audio descriptions transform visual images into words, making the “invisible visible” and ensuring equal access to art, culture, and information.

-       Pupils and students: A structured audio narration of visual material helps in learning, supports understanding, and serves as an effective educational tool.

-       Everyday situations with limited reading possibilities: While traveling on public transport, driving, or multitasking, audio description ensures important details are not missed.

-       People with autism spectrum disorders: Verbal clarification of actions, emotions, and interactions helps to better understand social contexts and supports psychological and physical orientation in complex situations.

-       Multitasking: When a film, show, or other content is playing in the background during exercise, cooking, or daily tasks, audio description preserves the storyline.

-       Viewers of foreign-language films or shows: Audio description helps not only with language comprehension but also with visual understanding, enriching both linguistic and cultural experiences.

Audio description formats

Audio description can be created in different formats depending on the event or content type.

Prepared audio description is developed in advance, with a script that can be played using speech synthesis if necessary. This format is particularly suitable for films, exhibitions, and educational video courses where accuracy and detail are important.

Live audio description takes place in real time, with a commentator describing events as they happen, allowing the audience to follow the process as dynamically as those present. This format is ideal for sports broadcasts, fashion shows, or live events.

SOCINTEGRA provides both prepared and live audio description, ensuring that cultural and public events are accessible to everyone.

Would you like to adapt your project?

Write or call SOCINTEGRA – we will advise and design the optimal audio description format so that every viewer can hear what has until now remained hidden from sight.

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