Welcome to the Audio Description Project!

Audio Description for Horror Films

If you like horror films, you may be interested in joining a new Facebook group:  Audio Description Horror Films.  The founder, Jaye Adams, is an "upcoming independent horror filmmaker" who pledges his films will be "inclusive of AD"; and he will use the FB group "to collaboratively help shape these films."  He urges sharing of information about the best described horror films, including comments about description quality. 

By the way, we track described films by genre for several streaming services.  If you are interested in the horror genre, check out our iTunes list, Netflix list, and Prime Video list.  (Posted Jan 15)

Deadline Extended to March 15th!
Enter the 2021 BADIE Contest

Time was running out (but the deadline was just extended!) for school-age children to submit their reviews of audio described videos and potentially be rewarded with prizes.  The 2021 Benefits of Audio Description In Education (BADIE, rhymes with lady) contest is open for submissions from children aged 7 to 21.  Read about the BADIE Submission Process.  The new deadline for entries is March 15.  (Updated Jan 15)

ACB/ADP Achievement Award Nominations

It's time again (the 13th time, to be exact) to nominate an individual or organization for an ADP Achievement Award.  This year the categories have been restructured a bit to allow separate nomination for individuals and organizations for Media, Performing Arts, and Museums.  Read the full nomination criteria and options for submitting a nomination at 2021 ADP Achievement Award Nominations.  You can also see previous winners in The Audio Description Honor Roll.   (Posted Jan 12)

ADP Website Year-End 2020 Report

During 2020, I tried to find ways to make the ADP website more informative and usable. Here are some of the updates that occurred during the year, in no particular order, in case you missed a few:

• The FindAVideo page was added to let you search the Master AD List for described titles
• Spectrum Access titles were added
• CBS All Access titles were added, temporarily on the Other AD titles page
• A page with all the described title counts of all the services was added with links to those services
• A sort-by-year feature was added for services that provide this information (DVDs, Disney+, and Prime Video)
• A sort-by-rating feature was added to all services
• More...

Read the rest of the Website YE 2020 Report.  (Reposted in shortened form Jan 12)

Next Audio Describer Training

The next Audio Description Institute, sponsored by the ADP, will be held virtually via Zoom March 1-5.  Details can be found in the Virtual Audio Description Institute brochure.  (Updated Jan 5)

Q&A on Audio Description With Dr. Joel Snyder

ADP Project Director and President of Audio Description Associates Dr. Joel Snyder was recently interviewed by Equal Entry Services, a company whose primary focus is on how people with disabilities actually use technology.  "[T]here is simply no good reason why a person with a physical disability must also be culturally disadvantaged."  Read the Q&A on Audio Description With Dr. Joel Snyder.  (Posted Dec 22)

Lost in Translation:
Audio Description Needed in Commercials!

If you are blind, you can relate to this experience had by Sumaira Latif, Leader, Company Accessibility, Procter & Gamble, as she previewed a company commercial for the "Flash" brand :  "Everyone in the room kept laughing when it started playing, but all I could hear was the song ‘Flash’ by Queen. What I didn’t know was that it was a dog singing the song, and that the creativity and humour embedded throughout the advert was intended to make consumers smile."  Read:  Lost in translation: Why audio description must go onto the accessibility agenda; or view the Flash commercial with AD.

You may also wish to read this excellent article, ‘The voice of blind people hasn't been heard’: inside the fight for audio-described ads, which covers the same story but goes further, showing additional described advertisements and discussing the challenges associated with getting them published.  "P&G has proven its campaigning power in the UK market, American broadcasters may soon follow.  The world’s largest advertiser is now audio-describing all of its ads in the US, as well as in the UK and Spain..." 

We have finally found some audio described commercials and are pleased to present this new page of Commercials With Audio Description!  (Updated Dec 22)