Audio Description Q&A

“Communication and understanding are basic parts of being a good human and that translates to all aspects of life.” — Magan Harms, MindsEye Art and Culture Coordinator

Metro Theater Company is excited to offer our streaming production of Jacked! with ADA-compliant audio description in partnership with MindsEye. Learn about audio description with Magan Harms, Art and Culture Coordinator at MindsEye. Magan provided insight into what people enjoy about audio description, how audio descriptions are created, how she sees the world differently after practicing audio transcription for many years, how audio description training crossovers to other aspects of life, and more!

What is audio description and who does it benefit?
Audio Description (AD) benefits individuals who are blind or have visual impairments as well as those with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), auditory learners, and individuals with traumatic brain injuries or other diagnoses. AD provides additional information about facial expressions and social and emotional cues for those with ASD, reduces external distractions, and provides two channels of brain processing simultaneously - visual and auditory - for people who have difficulty processing and/or interpreting visual information.

Magan Harms joined the MindsEye staff as the Arts and Culture Coordinator in November of 2019 after volunteering as an audio describer since 2017 and winning Audio Describer of the Year in 2018. 

She holds a BFA in arts management. In addition to her work at MindsEye, she is an audio description script writer for 3Play Media and teaches hand embroidery continuing education courses at St. Louis Community College as well as writes an art history blog. She enjoys reading, stitching, snacking, studying, and is obsessive about Cardinals baseball.