An experimental study on receiving Audio Descriptions in Iran

Abstract

Despite the growing body of research on audience satisfaction, Audio Description (AD) in Iran is still in its early stages of scientific development. Given the non-professional nature of AD production for Persian films in Iran, this research aimed to determine whether the current AD services meet users' needs and satisfaction. This study is based on a questionnaire survey of 30 blind and partially sighted individuals. The results indicate that AD services in Iran are limited to movies, revealing a significant gap between supply and demand. AD in Iran faces several challenges, including low quality, a lack of specialists, and insufficient theoretical research. From the audience's perspective, common issues include inappropriate timing, unsuitable vocabulary, subjective judgments, premature disclosure of story elements, neglect of actors' characteristics, and a disregard for standard guidelines in favour of self-made norms in descriptions. However, the existing Persian AD does help the audience understand the film's storyline. Our experimental research shows that participants prefer objective AD with detailed descriptions.