Persian Audio Description Quality of Feature Films in Iran: The Case of Sevina

Abstract

Audio description (AD) is an inter-semiotic translation for the benefit of people with vision impairment. AD research aims to enhance the quality of this accessibility tool and users’ satisfaction. Nevertheless, parallel to the fledgling state of AD practice in Iran, local research on the topic is substantially scarce, and the current article is the first published in the English language. To study the quality of current AD production in Persian, the work of Sevina, a newly-formed Iranian NGO pioneering in AD services in Iran, was examined. More specifically, considering the non-professional status of the group, the purpose of the research was to determine whether the group had developed a systematic approach to producing intralingual AD for Persian-language feature films. The findings revealed that the sampled intralingual AD produced by Sevina was based on a fairly consistent approach, even though there is room for much improvement. The article discusses the necessity of further research to support the professional practice of AD in the Iranian mediascape.

Keywords

• audio description
• audiovisual translation
• accessibility
• iranian audience impaired vision