More than two million people are living with sight loss in the UK.
From this figure, around 340,000 people are registered as blind or partially sighted.
This data makes me think one thing: how can we then make media as accessible as possible for the 2.87% or so of people who may not be able to enjoy media as much due to sight loss?
Due to sight loss, this means people are dependent on other senses, such as voice, touch and sense of smell.
And while we can’t provide feel and sense of smell in media, we certainly can provide good-quality voices, which are crucial for comprehension.
For me, it’s not just whether we’re using voiceovers (VO), it’s how we use them. Let me explain with a few best practices to ensure accessibility through voiceovers.
Ensure a clear difference
Voiceovers in a media setting tend to be in educational programmes, documentaries or video games.
Imagine Sir David Attenborough is narrating his latest nature documentary (what an amazing narrator, by the way). If you are blind and in need of audio description too, it would be best practice for Sir David to narrate and an entirely different voice to do the audio description, so the blind person knows which is narration and which is the description.
Brands differ
While the contrast is very helpful in film, this can be adapted for some brands depending on the audience and the form, such as advertising.
For example, if it’s a female-specific product, such as tampons, speaking as a woman I would be more likely to resonate with women and less likely to buy if it was a man speaking.
Vice-versa, brands do their market research.
So, it would make sense for the voiceover and audio description to both be female, but I would advise choosing different accents if possible.
So, understand your audience, think consciously about who you are speaking to and tailor your voice actor to that.
Your VO needs to create an atmosphere
A good advertisement voiceover should immerse the audience in the media so well that everyone can appreciate it.
The voiceover needs to create an atmosphere beyond what the music can – this is something a multimedia company can offer a hand with.
Side note: While AI voiceover can do a job, blind viewers deserve better than an alternative service that struggles with tone and emotion – and we say that as a company that offers AI voiceovers. It is more suited to short, explainer videos on social media where the video isn’t as important.
AI struggles with emotion and impact, which is crucial for a voiceover. Yes, we can be creative with scripting, but it is limited.
However, a human voiceover can provide the depth, personality, tone and emotion that all consumers deserve to understand the form of media.
If you listen to a voiceover like actress Dervla Kirwan, who voiced Marks & Spencer adverts: ‘This is not just food’… then you would know what I mean.
That is iconic. You can get a feel for the picture without knowing what it is. Succulent, tasty and good quality food.
And talking about making a voiceover invoke emotion. If you’ve ever been to the Northbound Northern line at Embankment, you may notice the voice.
In 2012, five years after the death of British actor Oswald Laurence – who voiced ‘mind the gap’ – his wife made her regular visit to sit and listen to his voice but found that his voice wasn’t there as the PA system had been updated.
Transport for London staff sought through the archives and found the old tapes, which continue to be used to this day at Embankment.
Yes, it’s a little separate from accessibility. But it is a reminder of how important human voiceovers can be in creating emotion, which distinguishes the creator from other brands or companies.
And regardless of your sight, you should be absolutely encapsulated by a voiceover, otherwise the voiceover hasn’t done its job correctly.
Take your first steps today and explore a voiceover with VoiceBox.
– Hey, I’m Sophie and I’m on a mission with VoiceBox to make media accessible to everyone because if your audience can’t access your content, your message is lost. Our committed team consults, educates and builds relationships that last.