Executive Director of Vocal Eyes, Judy Dixey, explained in The Guardian that the celebrities were given assistance from audio description professionals, including research about the landmarks and writing the scripts.
Celebrities taking part include Andrew Sachs (best known for playing Manuel in Fawlty Towers) describing London Zoo and cricketer Mike Gatting describing the Tower of London. Each description on the website is accompanied by notes about the location, including transport and map directions, and the professional background of the describer.
“The more cultural destinations we can audio describe the better so that blind or partially sighted people can access them and the full range of cultural opportunities which we should all be able to enjoy,” wrote Dixey.
The forty descriptions can be downloaded via iTunes or played directly on the Vocal Eyes website. The original project, New York Beyond Sight, is also available for locals and tourists.
A list of Australian museums and galleries which provide audio description is available in our Cinema and the Arts section.
Top of page