Live Audio Descriptions Are His Forte

That's the title of an article in the online edition of The Hindu newspaper.  The article discusses the career of ADP Director and audio describer Joel Snyder.  Joel was recently in Chennai (the capital of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu) for the Ability Foundation’s two-day workshop on audio description. Joel has trained audio describers in 62 countries, sometimes with a translator beside him.  (Posted Sep 17)

Audimance: Immersive Audio Description

What? -- you say!  Think about dance, one of the more difficult mediums for audio describers.  What do you cover, what do you focus on?  A new App under development called Audimance addresses this problem by allowing users "to navigate among a number of audio streams synced with a live performance ... It is complex. It is layered. And each track has different viewpoints, different kinds of information."  Learn more in this article entitled This Is What Accessibility Sounds Like.  (Posted Sep 17)

Apple TV+ Will Describe All Original Content

At the annual Apple fall product announcement on September 10, details about the upcoming service known as Apple TV+ were announced.  According to the Apple TV+ Press Release, the service will consist of all-original content, and "Apple TV+ series and movies will ... be available with audio descriptions in eight languages."  The service begins on November 1 at a cost of $4.99 per month for a family plan, free for one year to new purchasers of select Apple products.  See also this article on Cord Cutters News.  (Updated Sep 17)

The 2020 BADIE Contest is Open!

Each Fall, the ADP, in conjunction with the Described and Captioned Media Program (DCMP), sponsors the Benefits of Audio Description in Education (BADIE) Contest.  Students ages 7 to 21 view an audio described video and write a review of that movie.  PRIZES will be awarded in each age category.  Read the details about entering the BADIE Contest!  (Posted Sep 10)

The Process of Recording Audio Description

Voiceover artist Roy Samuelson, who specializes in recording audio description scripts for movies and advocates for audio description, has been interviewed yet again!  (See previous interviews.)  In this interview with Directors Notes, Roy discusses "the process of providing Audio Description," as well as the benefits to those with normal vision.  The article includes numerous samples of Roy's AD work.  (Posted Sep 10)

Next Audio Describer Training Classes

The next opportunity to be trained or refreshed as an Audio Describer comes in October on Lake James, in Nebo, NC.  After that, the next class is in January in Raleigh, NC, followed by February in the DC area.  For more information, visit our Education and Training page.  (Updated Sep 10)

Paramount Studios Releases 150+
New AD Tracks for Old Movies

In May, the Forrest Gump (25th Anniversary) Blu-ray disc was released.  What was different that you might care about?  It had an audio description track!  Forrest Gump was one of over 150 old movies that Paramount has been retrofitting with brand new AD tracks.  Most of them will not reappear on disc, but those tracks will make it to streaming services.  (Forrest is also on iTunes and Prime Video; plus check out Jack Ryan series like The Hunt for Red October on Prime Video for example.)  Read our interview about the new AD tracks with one of the key players responsible at Paramount to learn more (like something about a guy named Maverick who likes to fly planes...).  (Posted Aug 20)

Audio Recordings of July's Mini ADP Conference

Audio recordings from the two sessions at July's Mini ADP Conference are now available.  Visit our 2019 Conference page to listen.  The panels were:

• Audio Description Accessibility and Technology:  Open Forum with Representatives from Major Providers and Streaming Services
• Audio Description Advocacy:  Legislative Advocacy; and Promoting AD in National Parks, Performing Arts Venues, Museums, and Educational Settings