Leisure

Kirin's story - Audio Description on TV

Summary: Kirin Saeed talks about her love of television and how Audio Description helps her to follow her favourite programmes.

Kirin Saeed is an actress with no useful vision. She loves visiting the theatre, cinema and going shopping. She is a real soap addict and loves watching TV programmes such as "Bad Girls" and "Footballers' Wives".

She admits, “TV is my best friend, after all it is reliable, doesn't answer back, and always has a dramatic story to tell”. Recently Kirin purchased equipment in order to receive Audio Description on digital television.

“For the first time in my life I can truly participate in programmes and have access to more TV and radio channels. I have started to look out for the ‘AD’ mark before each programme in my emailed TV Guide”.

Kirin has become very frustrated with programmes such as "Footballers' Wives" that aren’t described. “I guess people take it for granted that they know what is going on in a TV programme. None of my sighted friends mind hearing Audio Description when they watch TV with me – after all, it means they don’t have to keep telling me what’s happening all the time!”

Finally, Kirin has a message for all TV programme-makers: “Please, please start to audio describe reality shows! I’d like more documentaries too. All I want is full and equal access to a medium that I love and enjoy so much. Is this really too much to ask?”

Currently 10 per cent of programmes per channel are audio described. RNIB is campaigning hard to get more description onto television.

Find out more about Audio Description on TV and how you can receive it.

Content author: audiodescription@rnib.org.uk

Last updated: 20/11/2008 11:13