Audio Described Aotearoa

Nicola Owen from Audio Described Aotearoa was our inspiring guest at a recent Warkworth Low Vision Support Group meeting. Putting blind and vision impaired people in the picture is what Nicola does for a living.

Nicola Owen

Making it easier for organisations to provide audio description for blind and vision impaired people.

Nicola’s audio description training was back in 2011. She set up Audio Described Aotearoa in 2014 with her partner, Paul Brown, who is blind. There was demand in New Zealand and they wanted to make it easier for organisations and venues to provide audio description for blind and vision impaired people.

The range of arts and cultural events that are audio described is increasing rapidly. It includes theatres, chamber music, award ceremonies, opera, contemporary dance, photography and art exhibitions, conference presentations, local festivals and events, children’s theatre, museums and galleries, sculpture and botanical gardens.

Nicola explained how for each different art form the audio description is adapted accordingly to ensure high-quality delivery. The principles are the same; to describe what is seen in an objective way so that the audience can draw their own conclusions and opinions about the performance, exhibition or presentation.

For some events, such as tours, patrons can ask questions along the way and so audio description allows time for this to happen. For other events, audio description needs to be developed sensitively. For theatre productions, it’s important not to give away the plot: for example, when a character is “in disguise” and the disguise is removed later on during the show. This sensitivity to the essence of each production is crucial.

The audience listens to the description of a play through headsets and hears words that describe the action. The whole process of preparing audio description – from marking up the script and allowing silence where there’s dialogue or important gaps in the action on stage to finding the right words to describe what is seen – takes about 25 hours of preparation for each hour of the show.

Nicola outlined the particular challenges of dance. Blind or vision impaired people may not have had previous access to dance and so dance vocabulary also needs to be made accessible. This is where touch tours and workshops can be particularly useful: for example, an acrobat might allow a blind person to feel the position their body will be in during a contortion, or a blind person could be shown how to move their arm in a particular way so they can physically experience the meaning of dance terminology.

In audio describing children’s theatre shows, an age-appropriate vocabulary needs to be used and the tone of voice needs to vary. It’s hugely important that blind and vision impaired children are able to access the arts, so they can experience creativity as fully as possible and also expect to be able to participate in the arts.

Touch tours add great value whenever there’s visual or sensory material included as part of the event. With opera productions, for example, touch tours are a particularly important part of the experience. These companies invest huge energy and resources into costumes, set design, props and so on. During touch tours, the set, props and costumes can be experienced using touch. Some opera productions have hugely elaborate costumes made of velvet or lace; others have masks and head-dresses made from cardboard and all kinds of materials. Touch tours are also particularly effective when the actors or singers participate. If their voices can be heard in advance of the show, patrons can identify who is speaking or singing. Touch tours also work well for art and sculpture exhibitions, garden tours and gallery visits. Really, anything that involves tactile objects or materials being part of the whole experience.

Part of their work is in developing new audiences. We are keen to reach out to older people who are losing their sight to let them know audio description is available so they can continue to enjoy the arts.

Follow them on FaceBook and see some of the recent events they have been at, Disney on Ice, Auckland Theatre Company, and a wet night at Eden Park in July when the All Blacks played.

Sally graduates with Advanced Accreditation in Neuro-Optometric Care (ANOC)

In July Sally received her certificate at The Australasian College of Behavioural Optometrists conference. This was the result of a lot of extra work, online and in person workshops and case studies over the past three years.

The goal of this program is to equip optometrists with skills for all aspects of neuro-optometry examination, diagnosis and management.

The course covers optometric assessment and treatment of the visual sequelae of concussion, whiplash, stroke, head injury and neurological conditions, collectively known as acquired brain injury (ABI). 

These skills are in high demand with understanding of the role of optometrist care in improving outcome for people with ABIs. It has led to a steady stream of bookings with Sally, one of a small group of Optometrists in New zealand, with this endorsement.

Sally graduates Neuro-Optometric Care

Seeking over 65s for pinch-test study

The squeezability of ocular lubricant bottles may be a challenging task for older people with reduced hand grip or pinch strength, or those suffering from arthritis. Professor Etty Britton and Dr Joseph Bouskila, from the University of Montreal, investigated the force needed to expel a drop from a variety of different ocular lubricant containers. Here in Auckland, Dr Kalika Bandamwar is undertaking similiar research.

This is excting if it leads to better and more easily squeezable bottles in the future! If you are interested in participating you can contact Dr Kailika Bandamwar at the University of Auckland at kilika.bandamwar@auckland.ac.nz

Driving vision

Some people approach eye examinations with a high level of apprehension. This is common leading up to the renewal of a driver's licence. Our independence is closely linked with driving ourselves. Combine this with our locality, even with its recently expanded Warkworth bus service. I often hear declarations like ‘It would be terrible if I couldn’t drive; I couldn’t continue to live where I am.‘

I don’t have any secret loophole to share with you. I know I may lose some readers when I talk frankly about the topic of not being able to drive due to failing eyesight. For an optometrist, it is a difficult job to tell someone that they do not meet the vision standard for driving anymore. A part of our job we don’t enjoy. It is worth talking about this. Take the approach, "Prepare for the worst, hope for the best."

The most common cause of reduced vision is Age-Related Macular Degeneration. One of the risk factors for Macular Degeneration (MD) is ageing. So every year we get older, the likelihood of developing MD increases. Fortunately, in most cases MD, described as Dry MD, is slow to advance. In this context, there is time for adjustment and learning.

Two other common age-related eye conditions are cataracts and glaucoma. Cataracts are, in the majority of cases, treated with surgery, successfully restoring vision. Glaucoma, like MD, causes slow deterioration over years, which gives time to adjust.

There are some useful facts worth knowing. Every time we renew our driver's licence our vision is checked, typically every ten years until the age of 75 years. At this point, we need a GP assessment. Your GP will include a vision check as part of their assessment. From 80 years onwards, we have to renew our licence every two years, involving a GP check each time.

You can have reduced vision in one eye, or completely lose vision in one eye, and still be able to drive a car. Fun fact: One in ten people have reduced vision in one eye, sometimes lifelong.

We check two things to issue an ‘Eyesight certificate for driver licence’. The first is reading letters on the chart, and the second is an assessment of peripheral vision.

So how do you prepare, or get your head around the idea of no longer holding a driver's licence? Here are my suggestions.

Talking about options in a positive way can help. Often we make the same trips in our car, usually following predictable routes (e.g. the supermarket, or family, or sports and clubs). Generating some alternatives around these routine activities helps. Some examples; online grocery shopping deliveries or accepting a ride from a friend or neighbour can be fun and social.

Investigate other options such as taxis or Driving Miss Daisy. There is a cost, but most people are unlikely to reach the same annual spend on taxis compared with the annual cost of owning, registering, insuring, and maintaining a car. Vouchers are available for subsidized taxi trips for people with low vision.

Observe how often you might currently give a ride to other people. Most of us are happy to help friends and neighbours, and genuinely enjoy doing this. One day you might be on the other side of this arrangement. So enjoy the positive feelings when you are in the role of the helper. One day you might be giving someone else that satisfaction.

If you have macular degeneration or glaucoma what should you do? Talk with us about the changes in your vision and how this might effect your driving now, or in the future. In many cases macular degeneration and glaucoma cause very slow deteriotation and people can conintue driving.