Analysis: While important advances have been made, audio description provision in Ireland remains fragmented, inconsistent and unevenly distributed
Picture this: the roar of the crowd, the swell of Amhrán na bhFiann, the referee's whistle, the clash of the ash. For many people, that’s the thrill of a hurling match in Ireland. But for thousands of others, the magic stops there, because they can’t see what everyone else is watching.
For the 272,000 people in Ireland who are blind or visually impaired, this is not an occasional inconvenience but a routine barrier. TV programmes, films, theatre, concerts, museums, videogames and live sport are often only partially accessible, if at all. The result is the exclusion of 5% of the Irish population, not because of a lack of interest, but because of a lack of planning. Simply put, accessibility is not there or isn’t guaranteed.
Ireland has signed up to international commitments such as the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the European Accessibility Act, both of which recognise equal access to cultural life as a fundamental right. Yet accessibility is still too often treated as an optional add-on rather than a core responsibility. Does this mean that we are not delivering?
From Royal National Insitution of Blind People, what is audio description?
Recent national research shows progress has been made, but also clear gaps that can no longer be ignored. One of the most effective ways to address this gap already exists. Audio description is a spoken narration that describes visual elements (actions, settings, facial expressions) during natural pauses in the dialogue or the narration. It enables blind and visually impaired audiences to fully understand and enjoy visual content, whether on screen or in live settings.
To better understand how audio description is delivered in Ireland, and where it falls short, a new project set out to map the Irish landscape. The goal of the ADESI project is simple but ambitious: to connect users, industry, and academia, in order to identify barriers, and propose sustainable, user-centred solutions.
While Ireland has made important advances, audio description provision remains fragmented, inconsistent and unevenly distributed. Without shared standards, accountability and collaboration across different sectors and stakeholders, accessibility risks stalling (or worse again, becoming dependent on goodwill rather than being a right in its own terms).
Cinemas, theatres, museums, opera houses and live sports venues tend to offer audio desciption sporadically, often as one-off initiatives rather than standard practice.
In broadcasting, there has been measurable improvement. For instance, RTÉ exceeded its minimum audio description targets for 2023 and 2024, reaching between 13.8% and 15% on some channels. Beyond TV, the picture becomes far more uneven. Cinemas, theatres, museums, opera houses and live sports venues tend to offer audio desciption sporadically, often as one-off initiatives rather than standard practice.
Provision is heavily concentrated in Dublin, leaving regional audiences with limited or no access. In many cases, provision depends so strongly on volunteers that without them it may not exist at all. In effect, accessibility depends on where you live, what you watch, and whether a particular organisation happens to prioritise it.
Perhaps the most striking finding from the research is that availability alone is not enough. Even when audio description is offered, many users are unaware of it. Study participants reported frustration with poor visibility and inconsistent communication. Key findings include that 83% of users were unaware of available services, often relying on word of mouth; live performances and sports were described as largely inaccessible; and streaming platforms and television services still fall short of user expectations. In other words, an accessibility service that audiences cannot find, understand or trust might as well not exist.
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From RTÉ News, how a new initiative from Bohs and the National Council for the Blind in Ireland (NCBI) allows a visually impaired fan like Kevin Kelly enjoyt a League of Ireland match
Thankfully, awareness among cultural organisations is growing, and about half of workplaces surveyed across Ireland offer audio description, with television leading the way, while theatres, museums and sports lag behind.
Professional training is another weakness identified in the report. While audio description training does exist in Ireland, it is limited in scale, largely workshop-based, and lacks formal accreditation. Training is often delivered in-house, resulting in a small pool of qualified audio describers in Ireland. There is no national certification or professional register, and alignment with European standards and quotas remain somehow limited. Funding models are similarly fragmented, relying on a mix of public funding, private investment and donations.
There are notable success stories. Some of the latest ones like Croke Park's audio description commentary service, sensory supports in sports, and initiatives in rugby and football, including Bohemian FC's pioneering service launched in 2020, show what is possible. However, such initiatives remain exceptions rather than the norm.
Audio description is not a luxury, and accessibility should not be seen as special treatment but as cultural equity
The ADESI project concludes that Ireland now needs a joined-up national strategy for audio description and cultural accessibility with three priorities standing out. Firstly, a cross-sector collaboration would allow formal partnerships between broadcasters, arts organisations, regulators, universities and user groups such as Vision Ireland. In that sense, users must be taken into account in order to satisfy their needs.
Secondly, Ireland should develop a national certification framework for audio description, aligned with European standards, and consider establishing a register of audio describers covering both scriptwriting and voice delivery in order to improve professional standards and training. Finally, accessibility should be embedded in commissioning, licensing and funding criteria rather than being treated as an optional ad hoc element. A national accessibility fund could support smaller organisations and regional venues to deliver consistent services to promote the mainstreaming of accessibility
Audio description is not a luxury, and accessibility should not be seen as special treatment but as cultural equity. By embedding it systematically across media, sport and the arts, Ireland has the opportunity to move from patchy provision to genuine inclusion, ensuring that no one is excluded simply because they cannot see what others take for granted.
The Challenges of Audio Description in Ireland: Bridging Education, Users and Industry project is funded by Research Ireland. The ADESI report will be launched at DCU on February 4th
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The views expressed here are those of the author and do not represent or reflect the views of RTÉ
