Uneven advances: a decade of audio description provision for blind and low vision Australians

Audio description (AD) has become increasingly available internationally, suggesting improved access to visual media for people who are blind or have low vision. This article asks whether “things have got better” for AD users in Australia, tracking its development through the performing arts, to the arrival of streaming services, and the subsequent funding of AD on public broadcasters. While provision has expanded, we argue that voluntary, unlegislated and inconsistent adoption sustains a charity model of disability where AD remains an accomodation rather than an integrated service. Moreover, entwined barriers persist: unsustainable funding, restricted or noninclusive access pathways, and weak engagement with blind and low vision audiences perpetuates an inaccessible media landscape.