Audio Description Training and Service Learning: A Case Study

This paper reports a case study that provided audio description training to students and enabled them to apply the learned knowledge and skills to social services. Audio description is regarded as a means for the visually impaired to perceive the world, and it is an instance of an audio-visual translation method making audio-visual texts accessible to the visually impaired (Braum, 2008). Service learning involves the collaboration between students and community members, practicing skills in the real world, developing a sense of social responsibility, and reflecting on the experience (Kott, 2016). In this study, a group of about ten undergraduates who majored in Translation and Interpretation received audio description training from a professional audio description practitioner in a series of workshops. The student trainees learnt how to produce audio-visual scripts, images, and pictures of the exhibits accessible to the visually impaired who were invited to a museum exhibition regarding the maritime history of Hong Kong. The significant achievement of this study is evidenced by the reflective writings of the participating students and the positive feedback from the visually impaired invited to the exhibition. This case study sheds light on professional education that integrates skill training and knowledge acquisition with knowledge transfer and commitment to social services.