Watching movies through listening at any place in any time- a special event for visually impaired people

Abstract

Taipei Public Library Qiming Branch offers library services different to other branches which are specially for visually impaired people. As you know, visually impaired people have difficulty in reading so they rely on listening and touching to live and learn. Qiming Branch is devoted to not only providing braille books, audio books, e-books and large-print books but also meticulously designing a variety of activities to encourage the visually impaired to participate, such as a reading club, exhibition of touching art, and “watching” movies. It is not that kind of movie watching that uses the eyes. The program “Watching Movies Through Listening” intends to give the visually impaired the same opportunity to watch and learn from videos. “Watching Movies Through Listening” is an entertaining activity. We hope it can share joy and be fulfilling. Moreover, it’s a cultural activity. By participating, the visually impaired can broaden their horizons and gain much food for thought; and it’s also a social activity. We encourage the visually impaired to come out of their homes to attend. The event is guided by a professional storyteller and volunteer team. They orally describe the characters, scenes, sounds and plots of the movie. Through the interactive discussions, participants are able to deeply understand the implications and what the movie director wants to express. However, still many visually impaired people can’t come to library in person. In order to let the ones who can’t conveniently participate, audio...