Promoting the dialogue between Information Science and Audio-Description: the urgency of digital preservation and safeguard policies

The urgency of digital preservation and safeguard policies

Abstract

Audiodescription, due to its function of access to information, aligns with Information Science. It was the subject of a Master's research, carried out in the [Withdrawn for peer review]. The objective of the study was to understand how theories, techniques and practices of Information Science can benefit — from the suggested concept of áudio-descriptive information — the process of inclusion and social accessibility and the empowerment of people with visual impairment. The research, qualitative/quantitative, exploratory in nature, was based on the Materialist dialectical method of approach. The universe of the research was characterized by Federal and State universities which have research groups and centers working with Audio- Description in Brazil.  Online questionnaires were applied as data collection technique, through non-random statistical samples, by judgment. Comparative analyses and statistics were performed as procedure methods. The obtained results found the lack of knowledge of most of the audio-descriptive professionals about digital preservation actions and safeguarding policies of audio-descriptive contents produced by the groups and centers to which they are part of. It was concluded that — in order to maintain the Audio-Description memory susceptible to long-term access — actions promoted jointly by Audio-Description and Information Science professionals are needed for digital preservation and access based on appropriate safeguard policies.