The visually impaired have the right to see - from the description interpretation

Eija-Liisa Markkula's parents tried to raise their daughter so that no one would notice how curious this is. Perhaps it is curiosity that has taken Markkula into many of them and shaped him into a versatile influencer in visually impaired work.

According to Eija-Liisa Markkula, description interpretation is now a hugely broad concept. It can be a description not only of film, theatre or visual arts, but also of people, route, space or environment. Multisensive and achievable experience benefits everyone.

What could you tell me about yourself?

I'm 74 years old. You'dthink I was retired and at home weaving a stum, that too!

I am in Iirisse in the visually impaired activity centre at least 2–3 days a week and a lot remotely. I'm in positions of trust, the most important of them as vice-president of the League of the Visually Impaired. It brings a lot of meetings as well as texts home to read for the decisions that are made.

In the cultural service for the visually impaired, I am vice-chairman, I chair cultural activities and the interpreting committee. In addition, I visit regional associations to train volunteer readers: How they describe pictures of magazines to their clients. I have taught description interpretation in the association, and more broadly, since the Ateneum and other great factors.

I have a lovely little house in the country, an old bun shop. My hobbies are its maintenance, gardening and utilization. I also read a lot of books!

I have quite a wide network and a circle of friends, family a lot, so there's plenty to do. I don't have much time to be home, and I wouldn't care more than two days.

Your time as chairman of the Cultural Service for the Visually Impaired is significant. What would you like to highlight from those times?

I would like to raise the issue of description, whichis not the only one. In my time, since 2012, a lot of influencing work has been done and the visibility of cultural services has been increased.

This was done in such a way that I went to public instands with Markku Möttönen, head of organisations at the Association for the Visually Impaired. The cultural service received support from the association when it wanted to engage in larger projects, such as description interpreting.

We went to meet people from different cultural and art clubs. Even if it wasn't always useful in financial terms, wemade ourselves known.

I do a lot of work with the Culture for All service, among other things. For example, they invited me to go with them to the Saari manor in Mynämäki, owned by kone foundation, where there are artist residencies. From there, I got to know a young Greek man, Ilan Manouac, who has created a hugely large cohort system called Shape Reader, where signs mean things like weather and nature.

He has introduced the system around the world and felt that I was there to help when the character set started to get too fine.

Then we've run an office and had fun. I didn't feel like a bossy supervisor, I didn't have my own table! Together we planned and dared to laugh, even though money was sometimes tight. I was very enthusiastic, as we all were, and we were able to inspire the union people to come with us.

What is description interpreting and where can it be used?

Description interpretation is now a hugely broad concept. It may be a description of film, theatre, visual arts or people, but it is also used to move around the environment. City miliths are also described.

In Sweden and other Nordic countries, recordings have been developed to help you make excursions and explore different places.

The description interpretation has expanded enormously, but it is expensive. I wish we blind people could order ourselves a description interpreter in different places like hearing impaired people can do. For the hearing impaired, this has been easier, with 700,000 and only 55 to 60,000 visually impaired.

This is still a work in progress. The aim of the cultural service is tobe able to get adescriptionwhenyou want it.

Why is description interpretation needed and how good is the description done?

I was blinded in 2002, but I have a keen eye oncolours, for example. I still want to know what things look like. I've told my coworkers that no one remembers them as beautiful as I do!

When I was still sighted, the visually impaired seemed somehow colourless and subdued to me - they didn't really remember themselves and didn't know what they could demand. They didn't want to be on display, were patient and waited in the background.

These days, the visually impaired are just like me, they all want it now, right now, right here. The Non-Discrimination Act guarantees that we can be involved in everything that others see.

The most important thing in the description is that the main thing is immediately said, essentially, in a single sentence.

How to describe visual effects and the aesthetic side?

It's hard. If you describe a work of art, you start by saying whose work and the name and size of the work. Let's tell you what's most important about the job, the essence of it, then find out what's around the core.

If the work is from another era, let's say it and the style unless it comes up through the artist's name.

The general education of the visually impaired is very good because they are the part of the people that read the most. For example, it is told if the work is kubist - that already gives it a certain look. The atmosphere is not included in the actual description. This can be seen, among other things, in the use of colours, compositions and shadows.

The description is objective: what I see here and not what I think about this, how I judge or feel. After the objective section, one can interpret the atmosphere conveyed by the work and, for example, mention what has been said in the critics' assessments.

What's the difference between a description and an artist's description?

The author himself has all the rights, does not have to interpret the description, but can talk about his work as he likes. For example, you can tell from brush strokes why different from the top; can go to technology or anything like that.

Of course, the artist can make an accurate description. Then it's good for him to leave the name and anything else that's important. For example, if the name is strange, even a Latin word, it is good to find out what it is related to.

What's good to describe from a movie and a performance?

Film and theatre are pretty much the same for the visually impaired. The description interpreter is not allowed to speak on top of events or music, but only when a suitable silent gap is found. That's why the script is done in advance.

The film interpreter has been to see the film two or three times so that he can watch the things related to the plot going forward. For example, if a murder knife can be seen on a windowsill in a documentary piece, it is told without revealing the plot, for example by mentioning other objects seen. Then, however, the film interpreter has tippedyou off.

You have to know the plot very well. Because there are so few small gaps that can be matched to the description, the description interpreter has to cut out a lot of activities. Anything that survives lines or sounds can be left unans told. For example, if someone rings the doorbell, the description interpreter won't say it. I'm talking about Finnish-language films, translation films are different.

Why do I need a text equivalent for pictures on a web page?

There are now EU directives on this, but they are only just being implemented. I'm starting to get pretty good.

If there are videos on the public website, they must be presented verbally. Foreign languages must also be translated. This has not yet been fully realised. This has caused a lot of extra work and has not got off to a good start yet. The obligation applies to public bodies, private individuals can make subtitles voluntarily.

We have writers invited to the Cultural Service four times a year, and the interviews come to the website. At Annanpura Oy, we produce the flattening of interviews on our website in its entirety.

Companies that produce content have realized that they will get more visitors and audiences on their websites if accessibility is well maintained. Some people are counting on only a small minority to need it, so it's not worth it. There is, of course, economic thinking involved.

Is there anything special about describing people?

It goes to an area where people are pretty sensitive. For example, instead of the word fat, you might talk about sturdy or round. We must also pay close attention, for example, to matters related to the colour of the skin.

I trust in the general rule of the Non-Discrimination Act: It is essential to describe what others pay attention to in a person. Everything you see first registers about a person must be brought out in some way during the description.

If there is, for example, a dark-skinned presentation that tells about the history of gospel music, I think it should be said. Or that there's a person with a white stick. It is also told if the person being described is dressed in accordance with his or her folklore or otherwise special.

What should be described in the environment?

Indoors, for example, it is reported that the place is a normal office room. If you're in someone's home decorated in a particular style, you pay attention to something that represents that style in particular. If there are special objects or artwork in the room, one is said. If the resident engages in antique furniture but there is graphics on the wall, it will be told.

What first sticks out, which is the most important thing to know. This rule applies here too.

What's the difference between a description and a word map?

The word map is an explanation of the routes. The word map is not a description, it is a guideline that tells you all the relevant points. There's a bit of a description of the place.

The word map shows how to get to the destination, for example from Iiris to Itäkeskus metro station. It describes the essential points that are important for walking and staying on the route, how blind they can find and identify where to react somehow.

Whatare we going to do with the word map?

I'm part of a group called The Got To Go, which makes word maps. We take the route many times and see what's along it.

We have made word maps for example inside Pasila Station, Vuosaari Health Station,Musiikkitalo and O odi Library.

We visit many sites already during the construction phase and check if accessibility has been taken into account. Architects are trained for this, but we check that, for example, the guiding lists are felt with a white stick.

One of the finest was achieved at the Music Centre. There are such lists on the floor that they are useful not only for the visually impaired. There's a light under the list. If there's an exit, the lists will show everyone the way.

The word map usually appears on the instance's own pages and can be downloaded in MP3 format or printed as text or Braille. Personally, I go through the word map at home and at least read the points I'm going to go to.

What could I do as an exhibitor to make a photography exhibition more accessible, for example, and thus more pleasant for you to explore?

First of all, you hang your exhibition so that it looks the best to you, you're an artist. All jobs have a name, hopefully a number. Unfortunately, numbers have often been omitted these days.

When you make name tags for pictures, you also put the names in Brain, and you always place them right in the same place, for example.

If you want, you can have a audio description made for the recording. It usually selects 6–7 works so that the main philosophy and technique are revealed, but which, on the other hand, are different from each other. That's when you get inside what the photographer wants to bring out.

Audio descriptions can be made into a recording that the visitor can download to the phone, or they can get a smart device with them for the exhibition.

If you're afraid that people won't hit the labels, you can be prepared to have a list with the number and name of each work and maybe a little mention of what's in them. In a good exhibition, the list is also in Brain. The best part is if you can take it home. It's saving in a crazy place that even in many big places, the exhibition catalogue needs to be restored.

Point printing can be made in the weight of the Association forthe Visually Impaired.

Links
Association for the Visually Impaired
Cultural Service for the Visually Impaired
WCAG 2.x Verkkosisällön saavutettavuusohjeet
Does accessibility matter?