Validation study on audio description: sighted audience perspectives on standard and impactful language in adult media

Audio description is an essential accessibility tool for visually impaired individuals. While traditionally guided by standards like Spain’s UNE 153020:2005, which emphasize neutrality and objectivity, recent research highlights the coexistence of subjective and objective elements (Schaeffer-Lacroix et al., Citation2023). This study builds on these insights to explore the effectiveness of two distinct AD styles, standard and impactful, in the context of adult media or pornography, a genre that heavily relies on emotional and aesthetic engagement (Attwood, et al., Citation2019). The research adopts a survey-based methodology to evaluate sighted participants’ perceptions of these AD styles. Four erotically charged audiovisual scenes were audio described in both styles: the standard version prioritized objectivity and refinement, while the impactful version utilized explicit language and stylistic devices like metaphors and intensifiers to enhance emotive resonance. Survey participants evaluated excerpts from these descriptions using Likert scales, providing data on arousal, offensiveness, and ease of understanding. Results reveal that impactful AD elicits higher emotional arousal and surprise, aligning with the immersive nature of adult content. This study contributes to ongoing discussions in media accessibility by demonstrating that the stylistic nuances of AD can influence audience reception, particularly in genres where emotional and sensory immersion are crucial.