Experimenting with audio description

Abstract

After years in the shadows of translation, research on audio description (AD) is now gaining momentum thanks to its contribution to a more accessible and inclusive world. This paper claims that experimental AD studies have a rightful place in cognitive translation and interpreting studies (CTIS) and discusses some of its limitations and prospects. The first section introduces the relevance and interest of choosing accessibility as a general field of study and AD as a modality of accessible translation. The second section takes a snapshot of existing experimental AD studies and summarizes their main results. Then, useful tips are provided to help confront relevant challenges. The final section discusses the potential of AD research for advancing our knowledge of sensory, multimodal, and cognitive processing and for transferring research results to society.