Full Article in Chinese

• Master of Arts in English for Specific Purposes
• Founder of Audio Description Association (Hong Kong)

Since founding the Audio Description Association (Hong Kong) in 2015, Dr Dawning Leung has made efforts in social innovation projects, to promote the widespread use of audio description and training audio describers. She has provided audio description services for live World Cup broadcasts in malls and bars for visually impaired individuals and collaborated with sports training institutions to offer audio-described Muay Thai and fencing classes. These initiatives encourage visually impaired individuals to access various cultural and recreational activities, embodying the principle of equality.

Reflecting on her journey, Dr Leung credits her mother, who nurtured her interest in languages and translation. Driven by a desire to enhance her teaching skills and gain professional knowledge, she enrolled at CityUHK to pursue a Master's in English for Specific Purposes. Her research focused on the challenges Hong Kong students face in learning English and thus, identifying effective learning strategies, laying a solid foundation for her subsequent doctoral studies.

Noticing the growing popularity of audio descriptions overseas, Dr Leung was inspired by the opportunities it provided visually impaired individuals to enjoy cultural and entertainment activities. She resigned from her teaching position and went to the UK to pursue a PhD, where she observed the mature development of audio description. Her doctoral thesis became one of the earliest Chinese-language studies on audio description, preparing her to analyse the needs and gaps in services for visually impaired individuals in Hong Kong.

With the successful promotion of audio description, Dr Leung is pleased to see increased awareness and participation among Hong Kong's visually impaired community. Recently, she collaborated with Rolling Books to launch Hong Kong's first multi-sensory audio-described picture book, aiming to provide an inclusive reading experience for all children and assist non-Chinese-speaking students in learning Chinese.

Dr Leung emphasises that audio description requires strong language skills, keen observation, and empathy. During the pandemic, she noticed that some elderly visually impaired individuals experienced muscle loss from staying home, leading to falls. In response, she launched a series of instructional videos on fall-prevention workouts, as part of the “The Hong Kong Jockey Club Community Project Grant: ‘On-the-Move’ Audio Description Programme”. The series combines demonstrations with audio descriptions to help various audiences stay healthy at home. Dr Leung asserts, "We must remember that the barrier is not the visually impaired individuals themselves, but rather the lack of adequate support from society that affects their lives. By providing professional services like audio description, we can build an inclusive society where visually impaired individuals can navigate their paths without barriers."

（Published at 10 October 2024）