Audio Description (AD) is the verbal description of visual aspects of a production for blind and visually impaired (VI) audience members. For theatre, AD means describing the set, characters, costumes, movement style, facial expressions, action and visual gags that might otherwise be missed. The aim is to give information without detracting from the dialogue, music and rhythm of the production.

There are other lesser-known elements of AD, such as touch tours and audio introductions, which are not reliant on specialized equipment, and can benefit all audience members.

In this resource (opens in a new tab as a PDF) Charlotte Louise Whitten gives an overview of AD and Adam Elms shares his experiences as a VI creative.