La audiodescripción. O la desminorización como derecho

Abstract

This paper reflects on how audio description acts as a safeguard for the access to culture ofvisually impaired persons. After reviewing the international, European and national legislation onaccessibility, the paper focuses on the current situation of audio description in Spain, payingattention to users and, especially, professional descriptors and their work. Descriptors play anessential and complex role: not only are they privileged intermediaries between the audiovisualproduct and the visually impaired, but also, given their position, they have in-depth understandingof disability and blindness, as well as needs and expectations of the visually impaired. It is thanksto them that visually impaired people access cultural products and have the possibility to sharecultural products in the same conditions and at the same time than the visually non-impaired. Theirfunction is therefore to facilitate the participatory and active integration of this minority.Descriptors are, ultimately, the cornerstone in the collective deminorizing of people withdisabilities and contribute to their effective and active engagement in their social and culturalcommunities.