Mind's Eye Professional Descriptive Audio Services: A Great Service to the Blind in the U.K.

A few weeks ago, I read an article about a company in the U.K. that provides descriptive audio services to the blind. It's called Mind's Eye Professional Descriptive Audio Services. Instead of simply linking to the article in my post, I thought it would be really neat to ask the owner of the company, Anne Hornsby, about her company, and about what motivated her to make her living doing this kind of work. Mind's Eye was started 17 years ago, after Anne had provided descriptive services as a volunteer.

Alena: After doing descriptions as a volunteer, what inspired you to start
your own company 17 years ago?

Anne: The early descriptions attracted customers from nearby towns and cities who then were interested in having audio description at their theatres and galleries.  The theatres expressed interest and it seemed that there was a market for this work.

Alena: What other than a good vocabulary helps you to be a good describer?

Anne: An understanding of the art form, a sensitive delivery which is in tune with the piece being described, a voice which is pleasant to listen to, a desire to communicate and an interest in the needs of the listeners.

Alena: What kind of services does Mind's Eye Professional Descriptive Services
Provide?

Anne: Touch tours plus live introductions and descriptions in theatres, galleries and museums.  Recorded audio guides for galleries and museums.  Recorded brochures for a whole range of organisations.  Live descriptions for Film Festivals, recorded descriptions for short films. Training for theatre and visual arts describers.

Alena: How does the blind community utilize your services?

Anne: They attend theatre performances, film screenings, and visits to the Visual Arts venues.  The description is delivered through an infra red or radio system in the theatre and cinema.  Recorded descriptions are available on CDs or tapes or MP3 players in galleries and museums.  Venues are also starting to provide descriptive information on websites.

Alena: How much do the services cost, and who pays for them?

Anne: A theatre description costs between ￡500 and ￡800.  The venues pay for the service.  With touring productions the costs are often split between the venue and the production company. Visual arts and film projects are costed by the hour. 

Alena: What has been your response from the blind community?

Anne: Extremely positive in terms of reactions to the descriptions.  Comments such as "brilliant",  "made a huge difference" , "really helped me know what was going on"  , "wouldn't go to any arts event without it now" .  Numbers are variable, according to the production being described.  Sometimes we have had up to fifty listeners, but an average performance attracts around 6 visually impaired or blind customers plus their companions. I was one of the describers working for Vocaleyes when we established the Guinness Book of Records record of 167 for Les Miserables in London.  One of the greatest success stories has been a Manchester group who visits a gallery or museum once a month.  The group has grown from half a dozen to around 30, including the sighted guides.  The reason this group is so popular is that a local charity organises and co-ordinates the transport and guides for the blind and partially sighted visitors and there is no cost to them for attending.  The gallery or museum pays my fee and does not charge the visitors. 

Alena: In the states descriptive services are not widely used. What might be a good way to convince businesses like theaters and museums that this would be a worthy investment?

Anne: This is a tricky area as the theatres do not often recoup the amount they spend on providing the service in ticket sales, merchandise, drinks etc.  In England theatres are legally obliged to provide "auxiliary aids" to disabled people to ensure they are not discriminated against.  However it is not stipulated how often they need to provide the service, just that they make "reasonable adjustments".  The service should be provided in order to promote equal access, involvement and a sense of ownership, but if the venues are commercial organisations, this is not always enough of an argument.  At a performance this week, the total audience numbered 40, 10 of which were the visually impaired audience and their friends.  They all bought drinks and ice-creams and a couple of the sighted friends bought programmes.  They really enjoyed the show and would then tell more people about it, so the spin-offs of this particular audio description were significant.  

You can reach Anne Hornsby at Mind's Eye Professional Descriptive Serves. Call or write:
01204 522481
07889 232438
139 Bromwich St
Bolton BL2 1LJ

Where would you like to see descriptive audio services provided?