Have you ever wondered if a blind person could deliver audio description, as well as benefiting from it? Eleanor Stollery tried, and she found that by using braille, it was more than possible.
At 13, Eleanor Stollery has already performed on the West End and presented the audio description for a play to over 70 blind and visually impaired children. After this ground-breaking achievement, Eleanor said “It was amazing being given the opportunity to do something that has never been done before and that the team felt that they could put their trust in me to deliver. With the right help anything is possible.” Trying new things and making them possible seems to be a feature of Eleanor’s career so far.
Eleanor was only 8 years old when she made her theatre debut, playing the part of Tiny Tim in A Christmas Carol. She has since gone on to voice the character of Lark in the popular Channel 5 animated series Milo. The show was shortlisted for best pre-school programme at the 2022 Broadcast Awards. Most recently, she was featured in >My Life: How I See It, a CBBC documentary which followed her journey to audio describe a live show at the National Theatre. Eleanor voiced the audio description for her documentary, as well as making sure it was fun for the young audience it was aimed at.
Not only does Eleanor perform, she also advocates for better access to the arts for all blind people. In a 2022 interview, Eleanor explained that few live shows are accessible when you are blind, and if you need audio description, you may only have the option of attending a single performance a year. Eleanor also explained that braille is a critical part of her work. She uses it to learn scripts and to read her lines, she used it when delivering audio description, and she also writes stories when she needs some time to herself. Eleanor’s choice to speak out and be honest about the ways in which the arts both enriches the lives of blind people as well as failing us is so important. It is easy to fall into the trap of believing that some access is good enough, whereas she has made it clear that whilst audio description is wonderful, we need more of it if we are going to have an equitable experience.
We can’t wait to meet Eleanor tomorrow and to hear her story. It is always such a pleasure to connect with young braille users, especially those who are using it to do such interesting things.
Eleanor shares her journey as an actor, as well as updating people on her ongoing medical treatment for a brain tumour, on her website: eleanorsvoice.com.