Audio Description & Consultancy
The image above shows eight people smiling at the end of a dance workshop with two guide dogs lying at their feet. This photo featured in the Irish Independent health supplement in 2017 with an article entitled ‘Dancing in the Dark‘.
About
Laura Sarah Dowdall is a professional audio describer and access consultant, specialising in embedding access into arts practice, performance and everyday life!
Since 2015, she has worked directly with the blind and deafblind community to develop and deliver audio description and access training for artists, venues, and cultural organisations.
Qualifications
- Professional Audio Description training — Arts Disability Ireland, Minds Eye Audio Description Training, The Lir Academy, supported by Dublin Dance Festival
- Directly trained and mentored by the developers of the Social Haptic Communication model
- More than a decade of applied research integrating audio description into live dance performance, since 2015
- Created the first inclusive dance performances for visually impaired audiences in Ireland, Rua Red, 2017
- Arts Council of Ireland Dance Artist Residency Award, 2026
- Create Artist in the Community Awards, 2023, 2024, 2026
- Presenter, Vision Global Conference, 2024
- Inclusive Dance tutor, UCC / Dance Cork Firkin Crane, 2023
- Guest Artist, MOVE ME! Festival of Inclusive Dance, Netherlands, 2023
Audio Description Services
- Dramaturgy during the creation and development of new work, performance or event planning
- Artist mentoring
- Venue consultancy
- Interactive touch tours — gallery spaces, exhibitions, stage sets before performances
- Know-before-you-go audio access guides for visitors to arts, heritage and cultural venues
- Live audio description during performances, conferences and cultural events
- Haptic description services, bespoke to an individual or community’s needs, using social haptic touch methods and communication models
Access & Inclusion Training
Delivered to communities, artists, producers, cultural venues and festivals — discursive, practical and experiential training that builds understanding of how to support visually impaired and deafblind audiences and communities. Typically delivered over one day, on-site, with advance meetings and a site visit.
Full detail on training formats is on the Training & Workshops page.
Get in touch to discuss your project
Email: laura@runningblind.ie
Phone: +353 87-9633229