The Ultimate Cheat Sheet for Writing Brilliant Audio Description Scripts: What Every Creator Needs to Know

When your words become someone’s eyes, precision becomes storytelling. Here’s how to write audio description that does more than meet compliance; it moves people.

Why Audio Description Scripts Fail and Why That’s Costing You

Most organisations think accessibility means subtitles, captions, or transcripts. But audio description (AD) — the narrative track that describes what’s happening on screen for blind or partially sighted audiences — is the least understood and most mishandled element of inclusive video production.

Too many AD tracks sound robotic, disconnected, or crammed with unnecessary detail. They distract instead of guiding. They make the story harder to follow, not easier.

And that’s a business problem.

When your film, corporate video, or digital learning content fails to deliver quality audio description, you’re not just excluding 30 million people in Europe who live with sight loss. You’re signalling that accessibility is an afterthought. In an era of ESG reporting, inclusive design, and AI-driven content discovery, that’s a reputational risk no brand can afford.

As the European Blind Union’s 2023 Handbook for High Quality Audio Description makes clear, AD is a professional storytelling craft. It has grammar, rhythm, ethics, and purpose. The handbook defines four pillars of good AD; who, what, where, and when and reminds us that clarity, neutrality, and empathy are its foundation.

But translating those ideas into a working script is where most creators get stuck. So let’s fix that.

The Mindset Shift: From Compliance to Communication

The first rule of great audio description is emotion.

Every describer should begin with a single question: What would I need to hear to feel part of this story if I couldn’t see the screen?

That’s the mindset that separates good description from mechanical commentary.

When you write an AD script, you’re translating visuals into language that preserves pace, emotion, and intent. You’re not telling the story; you’re revealing it. That means you need to know the project deeply; its tone, its characters, and its purpose.

The EBU Handbook warns against guesswork. Never “say what you see” blindly. Research the production, read the script, understand the visual metaphors, and, if possible, collaborate with a visually impaired adviser.

Because here’s the truth: audiences can hear when you care.

Step 1: Know Your Audience (and Your Responsibility)

Blind and partially sighted audiences are not a single group. Some were born without sight. Others lost it gradually and still carry strong visual memories. Many have residual vision. Your script must speak to all of them.

That’s why the EBU stresses inclusivity over simplicity. Avoid metaphors that assume visual memory (“as bright as the sun”) unless they add meaning. Instead, use comparisons that convey texture, emotion, and proportion.

For example:

“He lifts a football-sized sphere” is clear to all listeners.

“She dances like a demented chicken” works because it communicates rhythm and absurdity, not shape.

And remember: colour still matters. Even those without sight often enjoy hearing about colour, it adds emotional tone and can help guide low-vision viewers. Saying “she steps forward in a deep red coat” isn’t cosmetic; it’s connective.

When describing people, apply the “thumbnail sketch” principle, concise but vivid:
“A silver-haired woman in a navy suit leans on a walking stick.”

It’s not poetry; it’s clarity.

Step 2: Master the Grammar of Description

Audio description is built on present tense, accurate articles, and plain syntax.
The viewer is experiencing the story now, so your language must stay in the moment.

Wrong: “He walked into the room and looked around.”

Right: “He walks into the room and looks around.”

The definite and indefinite articles the, a, some are your navigation tools. They tell listeners whether something is known or new.

“A man enters the café.” (first mention)
“The man orders a drink.” (known entity)

Tiny errors in grammar can change the entire image for a listener. The difference between a bed and the bed isn’t academic; it’s spatial.

Accuracy also means vocabulary. The Handbook urges writers to choose the right word, not the rarest one. “He strolls,” “she hurries,” “they shuffle”, these verbs carry more visual weight than “he moves.”

Good description feels natural to the ear. If your script sounds like a novel, it’s overwritten. If it sounds like a news report, it’s underwritten.

Step 3: The Four Pillars of Audio Description (and How to Apply Them)

1. Who: The Character

Introduce each person clearly and early. Names should appear the moment they’re heard or seen, and physical details should be “wrapped” naturally into the action.

“Detective Martin, a greying man in a raincoat, crosses the street.”

Once identified, alternate between name and pronoun to avoid monotony. Repetition breaks immersion; rhythm restores it.

Avoid subjectivity, don’t say “beautiful,” say “her calm expression softens as she smiles.”

2. What:  The Action

Use verbs with purpose. The audience hears the soundscape, footsteps, doors, laughter,  so don’t state the obvious. Focus on what sound cannot convey.

“She freezes.”
“He hesitates before turning the key.”

That’s storytelling through movement, not commentary.

3. Where: The Location

Be specific but brief. “In a cluttered kitchen, sunlight spills over the sink.”
Avoid “left” or “right” unless vital; relative direction rarely matters to non-visual audiences.

When describing real or famous locations, use common references only if relevant to the plot. “The Eiffel Tower” is helpful; “a 19th-century iron structure” is not.

4. When:  The Moment

Time is part of mood. Replace generic cues like “later” or “then” with sensory markers.
“In the fading light, he steps outside.”
“By dawn, the street is empty.”

AD is experienced in real time, keep listeners grounded in the moment.

Step 4: Diversity, Sensitivity, and Truth

Modern AD must balance representation with accuracy. The EBU calls out censorship in global streaming services where describers are told to omit skin colour or gender identity. That’s not neutrality — it’s erasure.

If race, disability, or gender expression is visible on screen, describe it once, neutrally, and move on.

“A tall Black woman adjusts her red scarf.”
“A wheelchair user turns toward the speaker.”

Inclusion isn’t about avoiding difference; it’s about naming it respectfully.

And when describing disability, context is everything. If a character’s wheelchair or prosthetic is part of the narrative, mention it. If not, one early reference is enough.

As the EBU puts it: “AD must be allowed to be truthful. Otherwise truth is being censored.”

Step 5: Less Is More But Silence Is Part of the Script

The most common mistake new describers make is to fill every pause. But silence can be powerful. It lets the soundtrack breathe and gives the listener space to imagine.

If a sound effect already tells the story, a door slams, a gun fires, rain falls, don’t describe it. Instead, anchor the moment before or after.

“She grips the doorknob. (Sound: door slams.) In the silence, she exhales.”

Use “signposting”, brief cues that prepare the listener for what’s about to happen and “post-describing,” which explains what just happened when there wasn’t time to speak during the action.

“Having crossed the forest, the children reach a cottage made of gingerbread.”

Every word must earn its place.

Step 6: Tone, Flow, and Voice Delivery

Writing is only half the craft. A good script must sound effortless when read aloud.

Pace should match the energy of the scene, calm in reflection, urgent in action. Avoid monotone narration, but don’t overact. The goal is balance: a voice that blends with the film’s atmosphere.

Use short sentences that land cleanly. Test every line aloud. If it feels awkward to say, it will sound awkward to hear.

And never forget: the describer is not the star. The audience should remember the story, not the voice that told it.

Step 7: Practical Workflow From Script to Soundtrack

Here’s a simplified professional workflow inspired by both the EBU and top-tier AD studios:

1. Preparation:
Watch the entire piece without writing. Identify emotional beats and pauses.

2. Drafting:
Write the first pass focusing on “who, what, where, when.” Avoid interpretation.

3. Review:
Read aloud and time each description to ensure it fits between dialogue and sound.

4. Sensitivity Check:
Review with a visually impaired consultant or user panel if possible.

5. Finalisation:
Adjust rhythm, remove redundancy, and align with the tone of the original soundtrack.

6. Voice & Mix:
Use a trained narrator, recorded cleanly, and mixed at a lower level than dialogue. The AD should blend, not compete.

Following this structure produces AD scripts that meet both EU Accessibility Act 2025 standards and audience expectations.

Step 8:  Quick Reference for Writers

The Golden Rules of Audio Description Writing (2025 Edition)

Clarity over Cleverness:
Use plain, direct language. Avoid jargon and guesswork.

Present Tense Always:
Keep listeners anchored in the now.

Describe the Visual, Not the Verbal:
If dialogue or sound already tells it, don’t repeat it.

One Identity, One Mention:
State ethnicity, disability, or gender identity once unless plot-relevant.

Let Sound Speak:
Silence, music, and sound effects are part of the narrative.

Use Wrap-Around Description:
Integrate physical and emotional details naturally within sentences.

Check Context:
Ask, “Would a sighted viewer know this from context?” If yes, omit it.

Edit Ruthlessly:
AD time is short; make every word count.

Collaborate with Lived Experience:
Work with blind or partially sighted editors “nothing about us, without us.”

Stay Ethical:
AD isn’t just description; it’s inclusion through language.

Why It Matters

When Black Panther premiered in 2018, its first release came without audio description. For sighted audiences, the film’s celebration of African identity was visual and immediate. For blind viewers, it was silent erasure.

Only after protest was an AD track added, voiced by a white British man. The result, as blind podcaster Thomas Reid explained, was jarring: “It jolted blind people out of the scene.”

The lesson is simple: description isn’t neutral if it ignores identity. It shapes perception. Done well, it builds belonging.

Step 9: Why Professional Support Makes the Difference

Even experienced writers struggle to produce AD that flows, fits time slots, and respects tone. It’s a specialised skill that blends linguistics, storytelling, and empathy.

That’s why many broadcasters and universities now outsource AD scripting to trained transcription and accessibility professionals who can guarantee both compliance and artistry.

If your organisation produces regular video, e-learning, or promotional content, professional description isn’t a luxury — it’s brand protection. It’s also one of the simplest ways to meet your accessibility duties under the European Accessibility Act 2025.

Bringing It All Together

Audio description is where language becomes empathy. Done well, it turns visual art into inclusive experience. Done poorly, it’s just noise.

The EBU’s 2023 standards remind us that AD isn’t a checkbox, it’s a craft. As creators, we owe our audiences not only access but artistry.

If you want to produce content that everyone can experience and that truly meets accessibility and inclusion standards, consider working with professionals who specialise in audio description, transcription, subtitling, and multilingual access.

Because when accessibility is written beautifully, everyone listens.

Contact us today for transcription services, audio description scripts, translation services, subtitling services, live captioning services and note taking services for accessibility.