Re: Working with visually impaired students (2 responses)

From: Henry Bacon <[email protected]>

I am supervising a PhD project on audiodescription, i.e. verbal narration made to accompany the soundtrack of a film giving sufficient information for a visually impaired people to be able to follow the film. These can sometimes be found in DVDs and even television broadcasts. Last autumn I was invited to run a seminar on film theory at the Society for the Visually Impaired together with this student, Maija Hirvonen. The participants included a couple of people who have been blind from birth, a few who have lost their sight, and sighted persons being trained to do audiodescription. I basically went through the beginning of my introduction to analysing filmic narration and tried at every turn to ask how different aspects could be addressed in an audio narration. I am proud to say the audience was very interested and appreciative.

We played some clips for which Maija had prepared an audiodescription, but we also tried how well these people were able to follow what was going on on the basis of the soundtrack only. We used the opening sequence of Aki Kaurismäki's Drifting Clouds (it has very little dialogue). They were quite adept at figuring out the emotional tone, in what kind of a milieu the action was taking place and even following the main line of the action. Thus, on the basis of this experience I would say that visually impaired people, given the chance, can get a lot out of a film. Their experience will be different from that of sighted people, but nevertheless rewarding and related to the same aesthetic object.

Henry Bacon
University of Helsinki
FINLAND

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From: Jehanne-Marie Gavarini <[email protected]>

Hello, 
I recently viewed MY SPECTACULAR THEATRE at the Perkins School for the Blind in Watertown MA. This Chinese film was part of the Reelabilities Boston Festival. The film was both subtitled and narrated by a voice over in English. The film is the story of a young man who finds refuge and a community in a movie theater where all the patrons are blind. Without writing a full review of the film, I want to point out that although it represents blind people I found its handling of the subject somewhat problematic. However, I thought that it raised important questions, particularly about abilities and Otherness. It is certainly interesting enough to provoke thoughts and a great discussion. There were many blind people in the audience and I felt extremely aware of my privilege as a seeing person. If I were to see the film again or show it to a class, I might ask the people who can see to close their eyes to provide the same experience to everyone. 
The film was also preceded by SEEING THROUGH THE LENS, a short and vibrant autobiographical documentary made by students from the Perkins School for the Blind. I recommend both films and hope that you find these suggestions useful.
All the best,


Jehanne-Marie Gavarini
Professor of Art, Art Department
Co-Director Center for Arts & Ideas
University of Massachusetts Lowell
71 Wilder Street - Suite 8
Lowell, MA 01854
[email protected]