The question of accessibility

Audio description (AD) is commonly framed as a service (or modality) that provides accessibility. The question of accessibility has been substantially on the increase in the most diverse venues of human knowledge, from academic research to social debate, and this process of intensifying prominence has boomed over the past two decades. This chapter will discuss some of the reasons, mechanisms and limitations behind the increasing prominence of accessibility and access, as well as the implications for AD and media accessibility in general. Examples will be provided to illustrate the vastness and variety of this growth. However, many current attitudes towards accessibility and disability need to be questioned and media accessibility is much in need of a new accessibility stance. Some suggestions for future research will be mentioned in the final section.