a corpus-based approach to the language of audio description

phase as the shifting from analogue to digital television 20 . Indeed, before the
2005 shifting, a group called La accessibilidad en TV digital para personas
con discapacidad worked on this issue. One year later, the group created the
norm UNE 153020: 2005 (AENOR 2005), “Audiodescripción para personas
con discapacidad visual. Requisitos para la audiodescripción y elaboración
de audioguías”, that was passed on 26th January 2005 (Orero 2005). This
norm is articulated into various sections and covers the issue of pre-recorded
AD, live AD and audio guides. Similarly to ITC (2000), this norm also gives
provision about the types of product to be audio described and the audio
description workflow, though some norms (such as the „quantity‟ of audio
description or the voice talent to choose for children AD) cannot be
considered as binding because they often rely on personal choices or style.
However, they can therefore be considered as an important step towards the
standardization of guidelines. In Germany, one of the most outstanding
personalities in the field of AD, Bernd Benecke, also Head of the
Bayerischer Rundfunk, has collaborated to the creation of German guidelines
for Audio description (Benecke and Dosch 2004). In the USA, there is a
large and comprehensive set of guidelines elaborated by the American
Council of the Blind (ACB) that can be applied to a wide range of events 21 .
20 On the shift from analogue to digital television both in Spain and in the rest of Europe, see also
Coromina and Delgado 2007.
21 Further information about guidelines in the USA is available at
http://www.acb.org/adp/guidelines.html (last accessed 19/02/2011). Snyder (2006) also provides a
comprehensive framework for American AD guidelines.
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