From Touch to Sound to Story

Among all the things that visually impaired and sighted people share is the media. Media, as a communication channel, is used and consumed in varied manners, and blind people have their own way of experiencing it.

To substantially talk about blind people’s media consumption, this article will cover both traditional and digital media. Focusing on books and television, it will discuss how they experience these forms of traditional media without visual pictures. Moreover, social media as a digital platform will take the spotlight later on, considering its high relevance and enduring popularity in the 21st century.

Starting off with the oldest of them all—books. Books are often considered the most inclusive medium for blind people. You may be wondering how, because reading is commonly done with the eyes—with sight. But consuming books is not exclusive to reading with the retina. It can also be done with the fingers—through the sense of touch. Later, we will dive into the Braille system, and how it makes reading possible for the blind.

Books, unlike other forms of media, rely solely on words to relay information and tell stories—and that’s exactly how they top the inclusivity criteria. It does not need visuals or graphics to introduce a world to the reader’s mind. With only the power of vivid descriptions, sounds, objects, places, and emotions are built and painted in the imagination—and here is the part where blind and sighted people are able to have nearly the same experience from the material they are reading. In simpler terms, books do not require sight to create vivid experiences; imagination becomes the “screen”. But then again—how?

Reading, for blind people, has been made possible by the Braille system. This tactile writing system, consisting of raised dots, represents letters, numbers, and symbols. Books that are specially designed for the blind utilize Braille, but not every printed material does. Fortunately enough, books are no longer limited to a bind of papers where stories unfold in every turn of the page. E-books and audiobooks exist, and have been around for decades now, which have made reading more accessible and upgraded the experience for blind people. Thanks to the advancement of technology, these digital counterparts can be consumed with screen readers and audio outputs respectively, making the book experience of blind people extend beyond what sight does, and what hearing can do.

Jumping off from printed to broadcast media, let us now explore how television is enjoyed without vision. We are going to give due recognition to technology once more, because its innovation has given way to audio description. Audio description is a television feature that offers narration of what is currently showing on the screen. It is layered on top of the program’s actual audio, allowing blind viewers to experience it without the need for sight. During pauses in the program, audio description also provides narration of what’s happening in the scene, including the characters’ body language, the setting, important objects on the screen, or the name of the place. Even if it is layered, it does and should not talk over the actors or interrupt the scene with its narration. 

However, it still has its limitations. Not every visual element gets described—only the most important and relevant ones. The narrator prioritizes details that help the viewer understand and follow the plot, and the emotions and actions portrayed by the actors. Moreover, fast-paced scenes with little to no dialogue can make the narration feel squeezed, and the quality of descriptions can vary from one production to another.

As we have been talking about technology, let us now hop onto digital media, specifically the continuously growing social media of the present. I might need to contradict what I stated a few paragraphs back. Social media, in my opinion, is the most inclusive medium for blind people. With their gadgets, such as personal computers and smartphones, it is much easier to access content online. Many devices have text-to-speech (TTS) functions, and utilizing this is the hero that saves and provides for the entire experience. Besides, blind people are not mere consumers—they are also producers. Social media has paved the way for opportunities for them to engage with the world behind their screens. 

Many blind content creators have shared their stories and connected with their communities by making content on different platforms. TikTok, for one, is a safe space for the blind community where they explore their talents and intelligence. A personal pick, Shaina Soliva, is a blind Filipina who uploads content on the said platform. Her posts range from cosmetics to storytelling and explanations about her condition.

Shaina is a living example of how blind people experience social media as prosumers.

Her experiences are only a fraction of what many other individuals with visual impairments encounter and practice. Regardless, it is proof of how inclusive and accessible social media is to the community.

Media takes different forms, but it sure caters to all. Media consumption is an experience that extends across all abilities, and its significance to everyone who uses it is as important as anyone else’s.

To consume media is to know, and to know things is to be free.

SOURCES: 

How blind People use books, TV and the Internet - Accessibility Consulting - Training & Support 

How Do Blind People Watch TV: Audio Description & More - ScienceInsights