The 2021 census reveals that 10.9% of people in Portugal live with at least one impairment, including approximately 23,400 who are blind. This starkly contrasts with the limited availability of audiovisual products with audiodescriptions in European Portuguese, despite Portugal's ratification of European Union directives aimed at enhancing media accessibility.
Notable directives include the Audiovisual Media Services Directive (updated in 2018) and the Accessibility Act of 2019, which outlines requirements for accessible products such as websites, applications, and mobile services.
In response to this gap, we have developed a unique database dedicated to audiodescriptions created by students, trainees, and other professionals who choose to contribute on a voluntary basis. This cutting-edge platform is designed to meet the needs of the community and aligns with recent advancements in audiodescription (AD) projects, including plugins for automatic audiodescriptions in platforms like YouTube, and comprehensive databases of audiovisual products that include audiodescriptions within specific regions.
The primary goal of this accessible database is to offer an expanded array of audio-described content for blind individuals and those with visual impairments, aiming to mitigate the current scarcity in Portugal. The platform will provide information about what audiodescription is, in which venues, contexts and media outlets you can find audiodescription, where training in audiodescription is offered in Portuguese and the database abovementioned. This will include 1) audiodescriptions of dynamic and static materials, and 2) a comment section for previously registered users, whether people with visual impairment or not. This latter feature underscores our commitment to addressing the unique challenges faced by the community.
In addition to this, we have outlined the following objectives:
- To enhance the training of translators based on feedback from the community;
- To foster communication with individuals with visual impairments by providing a comment section, encouraging users to share their experiences and needs regarding this inclusive modality of audiovisual translation.
- To create a bridge between users and practitioners by inviting volunteer contributions, thereby cultivating a sense of community and shared responsibility;
- To advance knowledge and experience in audiodescription in Portugal with an impact on training
