Held at the Viljandi Song Festival Grounds, the XVI Disabled Song and Dance Festival "Hold One Another" ("Üksteist peab hoidma") brought together singers and dancers from across the country.

Kai Kunder, who worked as an audio description consultant for the festival, said Saturday's changeable weather did little to dampen the mood.

"It was my first time attending and really experiencing all of this in person," Kunder said. "The weather wasn't too kind at first — we got rain and we got wind — but eventually the sun came out too."

The consultant said hearing the crowd sing the national anthem at the opening gave her goosebumps, and everyone in attendance enthusiastically supported one another.

"The audience was grateful and everything ran smoothly," she added.

The festival, which was streamed live on ERR's Jupiter, offered sign language interpretation, live captioning and audio description. Kunder advised sighted audio describer Krista Fatkin, who provided live descriptions of the dances for blind and low-vision audience members.

Preparations for audio description, however, begin well before an event. Audio describers receive rehearsal footage and study the choreography, including steps, turns, gestures and lifts. Like with sign language interpretation, however, Kunder said the goal isn't to describe every single movement.

"We describe the main steps and, of course, the emotion, so it doesn't get too technical," she explained. "We also try to highlight and focus on the little details, things like how the skirts are swirling and who's wearing flower wreaths."

From theater to paintings

Several dozen people have trained as audio describers in Estonia, but according to Kunder, only around 20 are actively working in the field. Their work spans theater, film, museums, song and dance festivals, exhibitions and other cultural events.

"Every audio describer has their own strengths," she said. "Some say they definitely don't want to do live events or describe paintings because they lack the experience and feel insecure about it. Then you'll find another interpreter who's thrilled to describe museum exhibits."

Either way, Kunder said audio descriptions need to work for people with different visual experiences, from those who have been blind since birth to people who once had sight and may have stronger associations with color.

"You have to find that perfect middle ground," she acknowledged.

Kunder's next assignment will be as an audio description consultant for Rakvere Theater's "Autumn Sonata" at Tartu's Drama Festival next month.

"I really enjoy this work because it's so varied," she said. "And because I used to be sighted, so it helps me retain my own visuals in my head. I really, really love my job."

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