Audio description in the theater: Assessment of satisfaction and quality of the experience among individuals with visual impairment

2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (3) ◽  
pp. 299-311
Author(s):  
Naomi Ferziger ◽  
Yossi Freier Dror ◽  
Lirit Gruber ◽  
Sara Nahari ◽  
Nofar Goren ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Visually Impaired ◽  
Systematic Method ◽  
Cultural Events ◽  
Visual Events ◽  
Audio Description ◽  
High Satisfaction ◽  
First Results ◽  
Accessibility Issues ◽  
The Impact

Purpose: Audio description (AD) is the systematic method of describing images and visual events to people who are blind or visually impaired (B/VI). AD facilitates access to cultural events such as movies, theater, and professional conferences, and it is aimed at enhancing the partaker’s experience. The current study investigates the impact of AD on the quality of the theater experience during the initial stages of implementation of AD service in theaters in Israel. Specifically, the study analyzes the satisfaction of B/VI theater patrons from AD service as well as the quality of the AD theater experience in relation to the complete three-pronged “AD package”: auditory narration, a touch tour, and preshow notes. Methods: In all, 83 legally B/VI participants were recruited through social networks. Mean age 54 (±14); 58% women. Quantitative questionnaires were developed to assess the satisfaction, quality of the experience, and aspects of accessibility. Five theater productions were available with and without AD. Each participant attended two different plays, one which was audio described and one which was not. Half of the participants saw the AD play first and half saw the non-AD play first. Results: 87% of the participants reported high overall satisfaction from the AD narration service. In addition, high satisfaction was reported concerning the AD device (67%), pre-show notes (85%), and touch tour (77%). A comparison of the quality of the experience between plays with AD versus without revealed a significantly enhanced experience ( p < .001) when the play was audio described. In addition, several general accessibility issues were identified that impede participation. Conclusion: AD is an important service that should be used widely to enhance the engagement of B/VI individuals in cultural events. Furthermore, it is imperative that AD be provided alongside comprehensive accessibility considerations.

scholarly journals Daily functioning, problem solving and satisfaction for quality of life in visually impaired old persons

2017 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Teresa M. Sgaramella ◽  
Laura Nota ◽  
Loredana Carrieri ◽  
Salvatore Soresi ◽  
Giovanni Sato
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Problem Solving ◽  
Visual Impairment ◽  
Visually Impaired ◽  
Short Form ◽  
Substantial Contribution ◽  
Total Blindness ◽  
The Impact

AbstractAim:The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of several dimensions of functioning on satisfaction for quality of life (QoL) experienced by visually impaired older adults.Participants:A sample of 58 older adults (37 women and 21 men) was involved in the study. Their age ranged from 50 to 88 years (M=68.95, SD=1.51). They were characterized by visual impairment of different origin and visual acuity (VA) ranging from 4/10 to total blindness. The QoL questionnaire was used along with short form-12 health Survey, the National Eye Institute visual function questionnaire-25 and problem solving inventory (PSI) which analyzes problem solving appraisal.Results:A stepwise regression analysis was conducted in order to find predictors of satisfaction for QoL. A contribution of mental and physical health, more specifically, of problem solving appraisal was found.Conclusion:Results support the notion that the functional relationship between visual impairment and satisfaction for QoL must be understood in terms of approaches that incorporate psychological and socio-cognitive elements. Problem solving appraisal, in fact, makes a substantial contribution to the prediction of variance in life satisfaction and it may play an important role for intervention strategies.

scholarly journals Creative description: The impact of audio description style on presence in visually impaired audiences

2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 6-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Agnieszka Walczak ◽  
Louise Fryer
Keyword(s):  
Visually Impaired ◽  
Ecological Validity ◽  
Spatial Presence ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Blind And Visually Impaired ◽  
Audio Description ◽  
Sight Loss ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Viewing Experience ◽  
Principle Of Objectivity

This article presents a study that tested the impact of audio description (AD) style on dimensions of presence (spatial presence, ecological validity, engagement, and negative effects) in blind and visually impaired audiences. The participants were shown two fragments of a naturalistic drama with two styles of description: ‘standard’ and ‘creative’. While the former followed the principle of objectivity, the latter was an innovative type of AD that included elements of camera work and subjective descriptions of the characters, their actions, and scenes crucial to the plot. The findings show that the emotive AD prompted higher levels of presence for all participants. Overall, the new AD style seemed more natural, especially to participants with recent sight loss. The results suggest that creative scripts may stimulate presence and thus increase the chances of AD users having a more immersive viewing experience.

scholarly journals 015 The impact of pemphigus on health-related quality of life: First results with the EQ-5D questionnaire

2017 ◽  
Vol 137 (10) ◽  
pp. S195
Author(s):  
B. Tamási ◽  
V. Brodszky ◽  
K. Hajdu ◽  
S. Kárpáti ◽  
L. Gulácsi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Health Related Quality ◽  
Related Quality ◽  
First Results ◽  
Health Related ◽  
The Impact

scholarly journals The first results of an international clinical trial VICTORY:the efficacy and safety of antihypertensive valsartan monotherapy and the fixed combination of valsartan and hydrochlorothiazide usingdifferent dosage regimens in patients with 1-2 degree arterial hypertension

2015 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 71-82
Author(s):  
E Evgen'evna Chazova ◽  
T V Martyniuk
Keyword(s):  
Arterial Hypertension ◽  
Fixed Combination ◽  
Randomized Study ◽  
Efficacy And Safety ◽  
Dosage Regimens ◽  
Starting Dose ◽  
First Results ◽  
The Moment ◽  
The Impact

On behalf of the group of russian researchers. The aim of the VICTORY study was to estimate the efficacy and safety of valsartan monotherapy using different dose regimes (Valsacor® 80, 160, 320 mg) and its fixed combination with hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) using different dosage regimens [Valsacor® H160 (valsartan 160 mg + HCTZ12.5 mg), Valsacor® H320 (valsartan 320 mg + HCTZ 12.5 mg) Valsacor® HD320 (valsartan 320 mg + HCTZ 25 mg)] in reaching the target level of blood pressure (BP) in patients with 1-2 degree arterial hypertension (AH).Materials and methods. There are 130 patients with 1-2 degree AH were enrolled in the open international multicenter prospective randomized study from 7 cities in 8 Russian Clinical Centers in Russia. The starting dose of valsartan depended upon the previous antihypertensive treatment: for previously untreated patients - 80 mg (Valsacor® 80 mg, KRKA, Slovenia) with randomization into 4 parallel groups (n=108) for the patients receiving antihypertensive therapy during the screening, after washout 7-day period of Valsacor® 160 mg application with randomization into 8 parallel groups (n=22). Besides the dynamics of clinical BP, we evaluated the impact of therapy on pulse ware velocity, erectile function (in men) and the quality of life. Results. The clinical BP in 130 patients with AH with age of 55.6±11.5 years (65% women) at the moment of inclusion into the study was 157.6/95.1 mm Hg. The BP was reduced to 140.9/85.3 mm Hg on the 4-week of valsartan 80 or 160 mg application. Valsartan titration or the combination of valsartan and HCTZ on the 8-week helped to reduce BP to 135.2/83.5 mm Hg. The 16-week treatment showed the BP reduced to 129.2/79.4 mm Hg. ( p

scholarly journals An analysis of the impact of visual impairment on activities of daily living and vision-related quality of life in a visually impaired adult population

2018 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
pp. 50-63 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nabila Jones ◽  
Hannah Elizabeth Bartlett ◽  
Richard Cooke
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Activities Of Daily Living ◽  
Visual Impairment ◽  
Daily Living ◽  
Visually Impaired ◽  
Adult Population ◽  
Validated Questionnaire ◽  
Related Quality ◽  
The Impact

Previous research has shown that people with visual impairment are more likely to be malnourished and have reported to have difficulty shopping for, preparing, and eating food. They are also reported to have a poor quality of life. The present study aims to investigate the impact of visual impairment on activities of daily living and Vision-Related Quality of Life (VR-QoL) in a sample of adults with visual impairment who are living in the United Kingdom. A 37-question survey evaluating the nutritional status and the activities of daily living, cooking and shopping, was disseminated to adults with visual impairment who were 18 years and older. VR-QoL was also assessed using the validated, Questionnaire of Vision-Related Quality of Life Measure (VCM1). Participants reported that being visually impaired made it difficult to shop for, prepare, and cook meals, and this correlated significantly with level of visual impairment. The VCM1 score of ⩾2.1 was reported by 74% of people with visual impairment revealing VR-QoL is more than a little of a concern for most of the participants. The mean VCM1 score for females was 2.9 ± 0.98 and 2.5 ± 1.1 for males. Level of visual impairment was not found to influence the VCM1 scores. This indicates even those with visual impairment below the level required for sight impairment registration report a reduced VR-QoL. It is the responsibility and duty of society to support people with visual impairment or other disabilities rather than blaming them for not ‘integrating’. Among other things, this can be done by incorporating norms into the marketing. These norms might help to raise and increase the awareness of suppliers to the needs of consumers with visual impairment. Furthermore, such norms may contribute to our ongoing efforts for a more inclusive and accessible environment.

scholarly journals Continuous Auricular Electroacupuncture Can Significantly Improve Heart Rate Variability and Clinical Scores in Patients with Depression: First Results from a Transcontinental Study

2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xian Shi ◽  
Gerhard Litscher ◽  
Huan Wang ◽  
Lu Wang ◽  
Zengkai Zhao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Heart Rate ◽  
Heart Rate Variability ◽  
Acupuncture Treatment ◽  
Special Kind ◽  
Clinical Scores ◽  
Physiological Alterations ◽  
Auricular Electroacupuncture ◽  
First Results ◽  
The Impact

The goal of this study was to investigate the impact and acceptability of providing continuous auricular electroacupuncture as an adjunct to conventional medications for patients with depression. Ten patients with a mean age ± SD of 43.3 ± 10.4 years were able to provide informed consent. The quantitative and qualitative outcome measures were heart rate, heart rate variability (HRV), and different clinical scores. The study documented that a special kind of auricular electro acupuncture, applied over a period of three days, can improve various aspects of quality of life significantly but also highlighted the significant increase of HRV whilst having acupuncture treatment. In conclusion, our study shows stimulation-related and quantifiable clinical and physiological alterations in parameters after continuous auricular acupoint stimulation in patients with depression. Improved access to electro acupuncture treatment would be of major benefit for these patients. Further studies are necessary in order to verify the gained results.

scholarly journals Audio Described vs. Audiovisual Porn: Cortisol, Heart Rate and Engagement in Visually Impaired vs. Sighted Participants

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana M Rojo López ◽  
Marina Ramos Caro ◽  
Laura Espín López
Keyword(s):  
Heart Rate ◽  
Negative Affect ◽  
Sexual Arousal ◽  
Visually Impaired ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Cardiac Response ◽  
Anxiety State ◽  
Baseline Phase ◽  
Audio Description ◽  
The Impact

Audio description remains the cornerstone of accessibility for visually impaired audiences to all sorts of audiovisual content, including porn. Existing work points to the efficacy of audio description to guarantee immersion and emotional engagement, but evidence on its role in sexual arousal and engagement in porn is still scant. The present study takes on this challenge by comparing sighted and visually impaired participants’ experiences with porn in terms of their physiological response [i.e., cortisol and heart rate (HR)] and self-report measures of affect [Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS); Watson et al., 1988], anxiety [State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI); Spielberger et al., 1970], sexual reactivity and arousal [Sexual Inhibition/Sexual Excitation Scale (SIS/SES); Moyano and Sierra (2014); and the Ratings of Sexual Arousal (RSA); Mosher (2011)], and narrative engagement or transportation [The Transport Narrative Questionnaire, Green and Brock (2013)]. 69 Spanish participants were allocated into three different groups: 25 sighted participants who watched and heard the porn scenes in their audio-visual version (AV); 22 sighted participants who listened to the audio described version without images (AD); and 22 visually impaired participants who also listened to the audio described version without images (ONCE). Overall, results on physiological and self-report measures revealed no significant differences between groups or different versions of the clips. The analysis of cortisol reactivity to porn as the maximum increase or decrease in cortisol (t+12) with respect to baseline values (t−20) revealed no significant differences between the groups, but pointed to a higher percentage of non-responders than responders in the three groups, the highest being found in the ONCE group. As for participants’ cardiac response to the clips, no significant differences were found across the groups, with the highest HR levels being registered in the baseline phase. Self-report measures revealed significant between-group differences in negative affect. The ONCE group displayed the highest pre-task levels of negative affect and was the only group that showed a decrease in negative affect after exposure to the clips. Sighted and visually impaired participants reported to be moderately aroused and immersed in the films, regardless of exposure to AV or AD porn. In addition, correlations found between participants’ levels of self-report sexual arousal and transportation and post-task affect pointed to a positive relationship between exposure to porn and perceived levels of sexual arousal and affect. Results from the study reflected the efficacy of audio description in providing sighted and visually impaired audiences with a similar experience to that offered by original AV porn scenes. This study is exploratory but provides valid, initial groundwork for further research on the impact of audio description on porn reception.

Self-Compassion and Quality of Life in Adults Who Stutter

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 2097-2108
Author(s):  
Robyn L. Croft ◽  
Courtney T. Byrd
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Social Connectedness ◽  
The Self ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Self Compassion ◽  
Adults Who Stutter ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Relationship Of ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this study was to identify levels of self-compassion in adults who do and do not stutter and to determine whether self-compassion predicts the impact of stuttering on quality of life in adults who stutter. Method Participants included 140 adults who do and do not stutter matched for age and gender. All participants completed the Self-Compassion Scale. Adults who stutter also completed the Overall Assessment of the Speaker's Experience of Stuttering. Data were analyzed for self-compassion differences between and within adults who do and do not stutter and to predict self-compassion on quality of life in adults who stutter. Results Adults who do and do not stutter exhibited no significant differences in total self-compassion, regardless of participant gender. A simple linear regression of the total self-compassion score and total Overall Assessment of the Speaker's Experience of Stuttering score showed a significant, negative linear relationship of self-compassion predicting the impact of stuttering on quality of life. Conclusions Data suggest that higher levels of self-kindness, mindfulness, and social connectedness (i.e., self-compassion) are related to reduced negative reactions to stuttering, an increased participation in daily communication situations, and an improved overall quality of life. Future research should replicate current findings and identify moderators of the self-compassion–quality of life relationship.

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