2019 ADP Achievement Award Winners

The following award winners were announced at the ACB Convention in Rochester, NY, on July 9:

Achievement in Audio Description - Performing Arts:  Hunter Gullickson, The Guthrie Theater - Minneapolis, MN.
Special Recognition Achievement in Audio Description - Montclair State University - Montclair, NJ.
Achievement in Audio Description - Media:  Microsoft/Xbox - Seattle, WA.
Achievement in Audio Description - Visual Art / Museums / Visitor Centers:  Hannah Goodwin, Museum of Fine Arts - Boston, MA.
Achievement in Audio Description - International:  Vera Arma, ARTIS Project - Viterbo Area, Italy.
Dr. Margaret R. Pfanstiehl Memorial Achievement Award in Audio Description - Research and Development:  Dr. Brett Oppegaard, The UniDescription Project - University of Hawaii.
Barry Levine Memorial Award for Career Achievement in Audio Description:  Jon P. Skaalen - Minneapolis, MN.

Official Awards Announcement; all previous winners Honor Roll.  (Posted Jul 9)

Netflix Now Allows Describer Identification

Professional audio describers (companies and individuals) and audio narrators (the people who read the describers' scripts) are proud of their work and like to be recognized just like the actors and crew in a movie.  And this is something many viewers of the videos have requested, too.  Netflix has not allowed such identification ... until now.  From now on, Netflix is allowing these professionals to be identified at the end of each video ahead of the credits.  Thank you Netflix.  Listen for this in the future!  (Posted Jul 2)

Survey on Describing Diversity

VocalEyes (a London-based organization which provides audio description) in partnership with Royal Holloway, University of London, is running a research project exploring an important aspect of theatre audio description:  people’s opinions about when and how human characteristics, such as race, disability, age, body shape, or gender should be described.  They are seeking input from a wide group of people:  users of AD, describers, actors and other theatre professionals anywhere in the world.  If you are willing to take a brief online survey, please visit this page before July 31:  https://vocaleyes.co.uk/describing-diversity-survey/.  At the survey's end, you may request to be advised of results.  (Posted Jul 2)

Reading TV Subtitles Aloud

If you live in a country whose native language isn't all that common, you'll encounter a lot of TV in foreign languages.  Denmark is a country that, as many others, doesn't have a culture for dubbing TV and movies in foreign languages, which means that they rely heavily on subtitles.  But what if you're blind and you can't read the subtitles?  DR, the government supported TV and radio supplier in Denmark, has twin-channels for all their main channels that are specifically designed for people with a vision impairment.  When watching TV on these channels, subtitles will automatically be read aloud as they appear, ensuring a smooth TV experience for people who can't read the subtitles.  (Via ACVRep, Posted Jul 2)

USA Network Asks FCC for Waiver

USA Network has asked the FCC for a limited waiver of the Commission's rules requiring specified TV networks to provide 87.5 hours of video description per calendar quarter with restrictions on how repeats (frequent on USA) are counted.  In exchange, USA has offered to provide 1,000 hours of AD per quarter without regard to repeats and 75% of new non-live programming.  It is interesting to note that they also request that this waiver be granted to all other non-broadcast networks.  In our table of how much description networks are providing now (which includes repeats), it is interesting to note that USA Network continues to lead all other networks and well-exceed 1000 hours per quarter.  Initial comments are due by July 12.  FCC Notice.  (Posted Jun 18)

Pavarotti Comes to the Screen ... With AD!

The recently released movie, Pavarotti, which examines the life and career of opera tenor Luciano Pavarotti, is one of the select documentaries to be granted funding for audio description by voiceover artist and media accessibility advocate Michele Spitz, who operates under the business name Woman of Her Word.  Read this Hollywood Reporter article or the Press Release.  (Posted Jun 11)