FROM USERS TO CO-CREATORS: CO-DESIGNING AUDIO DESCRIPTION IN ARABIC WITH THE BLIND COMMUNITY

Abstract

Audio description (AD) is traditionally framed as a neutral practice aimed at translating visual information into words for audiences with a visual disability. While established guidelines emphasize conciseness and objectivity, recent work in Media Accessibility (MA) calls for more participatory and experience-oriented approaches. This thesis investigates how AD changes when it is co-designed with individuals with a visual disability rather than produced only by professional describers. Grounded in Critical Disability Studies (CDS), this qualitative pilot study combines co-design sessions, reception research, and comparative thematic analysis. Three clips from the dialogue-free animated series Tom and Jerry were audio described in Arabic in two versions: one professionally produced and one co-designed with participants with a visual disability. A focus group of eight participants evaluated both versions, and professional describers were interviewed. The analysis is structured around five themes addressing color, character configuration, terminology and style, detail versus action, and sound effects. Findings reveal consistent differences between professional and co-designed AD. While professional versions largely adhered to guideline-based restraint, co-designed versions prioritized sensory clarity, spatial precision, and emotional explicitness. Reception data showed a clear preference for descriptions that enhanced visualization, comprehension, and engagement. The study argues that accessibility is not merely the transfer of visual information but the negotiated construction of experience. By positioning users with a visual disability as co-creators, this research contributes to participatory MA and advocates for more user-informed and context-sensitive AD practices in Arabic.

Date of Award	2026
Original language	American English
Awarding Institution	HBKU College of Humanities and Social Science