Past News Articles About Audio Description
This page contains selected news items previously
featured on our main page, starting in 2019.
For previous AD news articles, see our listing from
2010 to 2014 and
2015 to 2018.
2021
Biden Inauguration With Audio Description
Archived
Video: The Inauguration of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris
(Wednesday, January 20, 11 am ET); Featuring:
Swearing-In Ceremony, Pass In Review, Arlington National
Cemetery Wreath Laying Ceremony, Presidential Escort, Parade
Across America
Audio Description:
https://youtu.be/cctCd8jI0e8.
Archived Video: Celebrating
America (Wednesday, January 20 at 8:30 pm
ET)
Audio Description: https://youtu.be/tm33Axg0TIY.
NOTE: These are the Wilde/Melton
recordings, not NBC's. (Updated Feb 9)
Bridging the Gap: Media Accessibility and AD
The Sundance Film Festival is sponsoring a panel discussion entitled
“Bridging the Gap” – Media Accessibility & Audio Description. The
discussion will take place via Zoom on Sunday, January 31, at 2:30 pm Eastern
time (11:30 am Pacific), and enrollment (via the link above) is free.
Moderated by Michele Spitz (Woman of Her Word voiceover artist and
philanthropist), six panelists will participate. Their titles include
writer, director, head audio description writer, voiceover artist, post
production manager, and AD enthusiast. Join them! If you can't
make it, check the site later for a recording. See also:
RespectAbility Sets Accessibility and Inclusion Lab Conversation Series at
Sundance. (Updated Jan 26)
Google Play Store Audio Described Titles
Google
appears to offer audio described titles for sale or rent in their Google Play
Store. They seem to have 26 movies, and possibly 23 TV series
(but beware the "More Movie Results" heading on the same page). Once we figure out a way to get a regularly updated listing, we
will formally list them on our site. For now, you can click our
Other Media link in the navigation bar where
you will find a link to Google's listing. Basically, you go to the
Google Play Store,
select "Movies & TV," then search for "audio description." Or just click
here for
Google Play Store AD titles! (Posted Jan 19)
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)
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:
Here are key audio description statistics during the
year in order of number of described offerings:
- The total number of unique described videos available on all media
jumped from 3661 to 4909 (34%).
[Note: that
number dropped on January 1 due to 60 shows just removed from Netflix]
- For Prime Video, the growth was 1652 to 2148 (30%)
- For iTunes, the growth was 1193 to 1473 (23%)
- For Netflix, the growth was 1093 to 1462 (34%)
- see note above
- For Disney+, the growth was 308 to 663 (115%)
[new in Nov 2019]
- For Hulu, the growth was 68 to 105 (54%)
- For Apple TV+, the growth was 12 to 44 (267%)
[new in Nov 2019]
- The number of DVDs decreased from 170 (an all time high) to
115 due to COVID-19 closing movie theaters
- The 115 DVDs represents 31% described out of 368 commercial DVDs known
to be released in 2020
- Stats for the big-name studios are: Universal (61% of 54 with
AD); Warner Bros (57% of 28); Paramount (48% of 23);
Sony (85% of 20).
Lionsgate (and subsidiary Artisan) continues to bring up the rear with only 5% of 65 DVDs
described.
- We welcome two newcomers to description: Shout! Factory with
45% of 20 described; and IFC Films with 100% of 6 described.
- The two biggest distributors of DVDs offering NO description are
Image Entertainment (27) and Gravitas (22).
- And by the way, visitors to this website grew by 45%
during the year!
Our goals for 2021 include the following:
- Add described titles for HBO Max
- Add described titles for Peacock
- Add a separate page for CBS All Access titles, which is expected to
turn into a larger service called Paramount+
- Starting in July, add described TV shows from the Hallmark TV
network and TLC (The Learning Channel), both of which will inevitably be
in the final list of TV networks required to offer description starting
July 1
- Maybe add a page for the Hallmark Movies Now streaming service,
if
they begin offering AD as a result of the inevitable FCC mandate for
Hallmark just mentioned
- Continue to expand our listing of Performing Arts Venues, Museums,
Parks, and Tours that offer audio description
Is there something else this website can provide for you? Please
contact me using the webmaster link at the bottom of each page. Here's
to an increasingly well-described 2021!
Fred
Brack, Webmaster
2020
Denise Marie Decker
We
were all saddened to learn of the sudden loss of our friend and
colleague Denise Decker on November 4, 2020. She was such
a dedicated advocate and a passionate leader in ACB's work on audio
description. She served as Chair of the Audio Description
Project Performing Arts, Museums & Parks Sub-Committee.
Denise lived in Washington, DC, and this past August NPR broadcast
an interview featuring her insights on the audio description produced
in the U.K. for last year's Academy Award-winning Best Picture "Parasite."
Her eloquent comments cited the importance of audio description
as a tool for providing broader access to culture for people who
are blind or have low vision. You can
listen to the interview on-line. We send love and peace
to Denise's family and friends. Contributions in honor of
Denise may be sent to:
American Council of the Blind
Audio Description Project - Denise Decker Memorial
6200 Shingle Creek Parkway, Suite 155
Brooklyn Center,
MN 55430
Foreign Films Released in the USA Need AD!
Read
Lack of Dubbing or Audio Description Tracks on Foreign Films Create a
“Hundred-Foot Concrete Wall” for People with Low Vision.. (Posted Dec
25)
Going, Going, Gone ...
On the first day of each month, Netflix (and other streaming services, too)
lose or drop their licenses for a whole bunch of videos, and a smaller number
get added to the service on the first of each month. Occasionally we are
able to capture the Netflix drops in advance, and we add "Pull date" notices
in our listing. We've just done that for 25 Netflix offerings, so watch
'em now, before they are gone! Search for "pull date" in our
Netflix listing. (Posted Dec 25)
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)
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)
The Mandalorian’s Audio Description is Truly “The Way"
If you are a fan of Disney's The Mandalorian, then you will "get"
the title of this article. The audio description of The Mandalorian
has received a lot of praise from viewers, and this article goes into detail
as to why. "First of all, the descriptive language they use is
impressive ... clear, concise, and graceful as if the words came from a book."
While the language is the choice of the audio description writer, how that
language is expressed verbally is equally important. "[Nicole]
Zanzarella’s voice fits perfectly into the show. She is never hard to
understand, and the narration is entirely seamless. She also does a great job
of not filling every moment of silence with narration. Instead, she gives the
audience enough time to enjoy the fantastic soundtrack that accompanies the
space western."
Read The Mandalorian article! (Posted Dec 18)
Christmas-Themed
Videos With AD
Did
you know that over 100 movies with Christmas themes are
available with audio description from streaming services or on
DVD? Neither did we! That's why we researched this
topic and compiled a listing for users of this website. We
even allow you to sort the list by vendor so you can check out
your favorite streaming service's offerings.
With the
same movie sometimes available from different vendors, Netflix
has over 50, followed by about 25 each from Disney+, iTunes, and
Prime Video, plus 15 or so titles on DVD. So check out our
complete list of Christmas-Themed
Videos! You'll find a link at the top
of that page to sort by
vendor. (Updated Dec 18)
New Website Feature
We recently introduced the option of sorting AD titles BY RATING for each
of the streaming services and the master DVD list; and now where the data is
available (only Disney+ and Prime Video plus DVDs at present), you can sort titles BY
YEAR OF RELEASE, which is particularly interesting for Disney+, which goes
back to 1928. (Posted Dec 15)
Charlie
Brown Comes to Apple TV+
Some Shows Free to All
Snoopy, Charlie Brown and friends land at Apple TV+ in expanded
partnership with WildBrain for new original shows and specials. (Updated
Dec 11)
Addressing Diversity in Audio Description
ITV in the UK has written an article covering their "journey in
investigating and implementing new guidance for 2020, to govern how our Audio
Description service (AD) conveys race and other visible diversity cues to
blind and visually impaired audiences." Read:
Audio-describing diversity, or addressing the elephant in the room.
(Posted Dec 8)
FCC AD Quality Working Group Report
The FCC recently released a report on Audio Description Quality developed
by its Disability Advisory Committee (DAC) and a working group convened to
examine the quality of audio description on broadcast television. Carl
Richardson, co-chair of the ADP, and Joel Snyder, Director of the ADP, served
on the DAC as well as the Audio Description Quality Working Group.
Last year, the FCC focused on quality issues in the provision of closed
captioning and the genesis of the report on audio description quality was,
in part, the FCC's acknowledgement of the importance of audio description
and both the potential benefits and the challenges in composing and
enforcing audio description quality rules. The FCC asked the DAC to
develop guidance on best practices regarding the universal tenets of the
composition of audio description. We have
posted the complete report on our
Audio Description page
under "Guidelines for Description." (Posted Dec 8)
FCC Prepares For Changes July 1
The
FCC has released a
Public Notice listing the top 10 nonbroadcast networks for purposes
of determining which five of them will be required to offer Audio
Description starting July 1, 2021. The first four of them
are News or Sports which will undoubtedly ask for and be granted
an exception. By our analysis, these are the most likely networks
to be required to offer audio description starting July
1, 2021: Hallmark, HGTV, History, TBS, and
TLC. Hallmark and TLC would be new. Discovery
and USA would be dropped. (Posted Nov 10)
An Advocacy Update From the ACB
In
a recent episode of the ACB Advocacy Update, hosts Claire and Clark
discuss the recent updates in the audio description marketplace.
They speak with Sam Joehl, President, ACB of Virginia, about the
work of the Federal Communications Commission and their Disability
Advisory Committee, and they speak with Dr. Joel Snyder, Director,
ACB’s Audio Description Project about ACB’s ongoing work to increase
audio description availability.
Listen to the episode. (Posted Nov 10)
FCC: +40 DMAs and
Video Description
Audio Description
The
FCC has adopted an Order expanding the number of designated market
areas (DMAs) required to carry audio description from 60 to 100
over the next four years. In addition, "The Order also
replaces the term 'video description' with 'audio description'
throughout the Commission’s rules, implementing a recommendation
of the Commission's Disability Advisory Committee and harmonizing
the Commission's terminology with that used by consumers and other
Federal agencies."
Read the FCC Press Release or the
full Report and Order or
Final Ruling or article:
FCC Expands Audio Descriptions for Broadcast TV. (Posted
Oct 28; added article Nov 10)
CBS All Access AD Titles Now Listed
Although
we have been unable to get CBS to respond to a request for a weekly
list of described titles, there seems to be enough interest in this
service (despite its accessibility problems) for us to list titles
we know about. Therefore we have added CBS All Access described
titles to our Other Media list, so they
will also appear in the Master AD List.
Please send us titles we don't have listed.
For more information about this streaming service, see our entry
in Streaming Services.
(Posted Nov 3)
The Guggenheim Museum, New York City
If
you can't make it to the newly reopened
Guggenheim
Museum in New York City, you can enjoy an audio described tour
which addresses "the stunning architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright's
iconic building. Each of the 10 tracks in the guide describes
a sensory aspect of the museum; for example, actor Maggie Gyllenhaal
describes touching the thick, pitted paint layers coating the museum
walls." Read or listen to this article:
Guggenheim's Audio Guide Brings The Art Museum To Listeners' 'Mind's
Eye'. You will find the tours themselves on the museum's
The Mind's Eye Programs page. (Posted Nov 3)
Audio Describing Video Games
Audio
describing a video game is a challenge, and this article addresses
how one company is doing it:
How Do You Audio Transcribe an Entire Video Game? And
here is another more recent article:
How audio description within games could make them more accessible
for blind and low vision players. (Updated Nov 3)
Red Bee Media Reflects on 20 Years of AD
Red
Bee Media is an international media company offering audio description
services in at least five countries. One of their describers,
Marie Campbell, offers a reflection on twenty years of growth in
Happy 20th Birthday, Audio Description. As a reminder,
we have a listing of both USA domestic providers
of audio description services as well as
international AD services.
(Posted Oct 27)
4K UHD Blu-Rays Have an Inclusion Problem
That's
the title of a recent post by Alex Howard Movie and TV Reviews.
Alex's experience has been that a lot of 4K discs do not include
AD tracks, although the DVD and/or Blu-ray discs do. The only
good news there might be that 4K discs are typically packaged along
with a Blu-ray version. If you have purchased 4K discs,
read Alex's article and post your experience on our Discussion
List. (Posted Oct 20)
Settlement Agreement Signed by HBO
WarnerMedia and HBO have agreed to a "Settlement Agreement" with the ACB
and certain other claimants regarding the accessibility of their website,
mobile devices, applications, and programming content for the product known as
HBO Max. Audio described content should be arriving by the end of March
2021 with additional application support by September 2021. They are
committing 1500 hours of described content by March 2021, doubling in the
following 12 months, and doubling again in the following year. Plans include listings of described content and
training of customer service agents. Full compliance is committed by
November 2021.
Read the full HBO Settlement Agreement
or the
ACB Press Release. (Posted Oct
19)
New Website Feature:
DVD and Streaming Titles by Rating
We just added movie ratings to our complete DVD listing;
and at the same time we added a new feature to our lists of streaming titles with AD,
plus our alphabetized DVD listing: a
clickable link to "Titles by Rating" will be found just below the breakdown by
genres (if present) at the top of each listing. (Posted Oct 19)
Celebrating the CVAA
On Thursday, October 8, we celebrated the 10th anniversary of the CVAA, the
21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2010. Listen
to
Stevie Wonder's video message about the importance of the occasion.
You can also
view the entire one hour event or
read the
ACB Press Release on the CVAA. (Posted Oct 13)
The Process of Adding Audio Description to a Video
In this new article we explore the entire process of contracting for,
writing, recording, implementing, and delivering an audio description track to
you on a video. If you've ever wondered how it's done and want an
insight into some of the skills and challenges involved, then read
The Process of Adding Audio Description to a
Video. (Posted Oct 6)
Halloween Videos With AD
You may not have visited our
Other Media page under Titles with AD; but if you do, you will find four
videos posted on YouTube with scary themes appropriate for Halloween:
Carnival of Souls,
Night of the Living Dead,
Nosferatu, and
Popeye -
"Fright to the Finish". We thank Audio Description Associates and
VITAC for cooperating in the production of these annual favorites a number of
years ago. (Posted Oct 6)
All ADP Conference Audio/Video Now Available
We have obtained the last of the July ADP Virtual Conference audios and
videos. Visit our Conferences page to
access them. (Posted Sep 22)
Describing Diversity in Theatre
The
subject of how to describe diversity (for example, actor's races) in
theatre has become a topic of great interest in the past year or two.
VocalEyes UK has just published the results of a project started in mid-2019
involving both users and providers of audio description, as well as theatre
professionals. The results of an online survey, interviews, and
workshops were used to prepare the report. In addition to the report,
links to additional resources are provided at the
Describing Diversity Report website. (Posted Sep 22)
Netflix adds AD to Avatar: The Last Airbender
‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ just got more accessible to blind audiences,
according to an article in the LA Times, which features comments by blind
filmmaker James Rath. This is not the first time that Netflix has added
an AD track to a movie or series that they acquired without AD. Kudos to
Netflix! (Posted Sep 15)
Flight Paths - a New Way of Storytelling
There's a new online partially animated production called Flight Paths
which integrates audio description with the main audio of the video.
"Take a journey with old and contemporary tales of blind visually impaired
travelling artists, inspired by the Goze - blind female performers of Japan.
Combining animation, aerial movement and creative audio description, witness
stories of travel, blindness and migration through interactive navigation."
Take off now with
Flight Paths! (Posted Sep 15)
New Site Feature: Find Described Video
Want to know if a favorite movie or TV series is audio described? Instead of
searching manually through the Master AD List, you can now simply type the
title (or part of a title) in the box at this top of this page (or a similar
box on the Master AD List page) to find out. Give it a try!
The only caveat for use is that if you type more than one word, they must be
in the proper order (e.g., "potter deathly" will not find "Harry Potter and
the Deathly Hallows," but "harry potter", "deathly hallows", or even just
"potter" or "deathly" will work). This option has been added to the
mobile device Menu also.
You can
now also check all media AD counts.
See also our official
Find a Described Video Press Release! (Updated Sep 15)
Audio Described Trailers
Don't we wish more movie trailers were audio described? Here's one
from Netflix for a movie about
the
story of the Paralympic games, now available on Netflix. And
another one from a company
trying to raise funds to tell the story of the
2018
Race Across America featuring four professional blind athletes. And
of course all Apple TV+ trailers are described. (Updated Sep 1)
Podcasts on Audio Description
We know of three
recent podcasts regarding audio description of
movies.
-
Audio Descriptions in Movies for the Blind, interviewing ADP Project
Director Dr. Joel Snyder, from Newstalk in Ireland.
-
The Importance Of Audio Description For Subtitled Movies, interviewing
Denise Decker, Chair of the ADP's Performing Arts, Museums, and Parks
Committee.
-
Advocates For Deaf And Blind Laud Netflix's New Playback Features,
interviewing Everette Bacon from the NFB.
-
And don't miss the archive of
All Things Audio Description from ACB Radio's August 16th
Sunday Edition With Anthony. It features Roy Samuelson and
five other people involved in audio description. As the ACB Radio
site is being worked on, we point to a temporary file you can access to
listen.
Want more? Visit our Podcasts page for
recurring series and individual podcasts. (Posted Aug 25)
NY Times "The 50 Best Movies on Netflix Right Now
Here is the subset of the movies from the
NY Times article on August 6 that have audio description
on Netflix
as determined by your webmaster on August 14th, subject to change, of
course. You may or may not agree with the NY Times on "best"! (Posted Aug 18)
- 13TH
- 22 July
- Airplane!
- American Factory
- Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs
- Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution
- Da 5 Bloods
- Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
- Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark
- Jurassic Park
- Justin Timberlake + the Tennessee Kids
- Marriage Story
- Mudbound
- My Happy Family
- Okja
- Private Life
- Schindler’s List
- Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
- The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
- The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson
- The Irishman
- The Little Prince
- The Old Guard
- The Social Network
- Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
- Uncut Gems
On the list, not on Netflix with AD, but available elsewhere:
- Lady Bird (iTunes, Prime Video)
- The Karate Kid (DVD, Spectrum Access)
New Museum, New AD Feature
The new
U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum in Colorado Springs offers the following:
"Audio descriptions: If guests select audio descriptions as a preference
during registration, these [6-minute] audio descriptions are triggered
automatically by a tactile floor strip and provide an introduction upon
entering each gallery." In addition, "Touchscreen interactives feature
tactile keypads designed to assist with screen navigation." (Posted Jul
31)
Broadway Sacramento Honored for Audio Description
Broadway Sacramento is one of this year's recipients of an ADP Achievement
Award. Station KCRA in Sacramento just did a very nice video covering
the honor. Listen to
Sacramento theater company honored for its inclusive shows. (Posted
Jul 7)
PS: See also the
Disney Press Release about their award. (Added Jul 21)
AD Narrator & ADP Staff Podcasts
The ADNA (Audio
Description Narrators of America)
website has recently added podcasts with AD Narrators, the
professional voice-over artists who read the audio description for movies and
TV series. As a bonus, site owner Roy Samuelson (a narrator himself) has
interviewed a number of us at the ADP and will be rotating in those interviews
clearly identified as "BONUS" content! Give us bonus people and the real AD
Narrators a listen at
TheADNA.org
“Know Your Narrator” Interviews. You'll need to bookmark the page
and return weekly to hear new podcasts, or subscribe to new podcasts
via your favorite podcast App. (Updated Jul 20)
ADP Convention Follow-Up
The 2020 ADP Virtual Convention is over, and it was great! We had
from 50 to 150 people at each of our informative sessions, most of which had
time for Q&A at the end. And the ACB Banquet speaker, AD Narrator
Roy Samuelson, was outstanding. If you missed any or all of it, we are
posting links to
the audio tracks on our Conferences page as they
become available. (Posted Jul 11; new audio added
Sep 8)
Winners of the 2020 ADP Achievement Awards
The American Council of the Blind proudly announces the 2020 Achievement
Awards in Audio Description, an initiative of the Council's Audio Description
Project. Read
the full awards announcement. Formal presentation was Tuesday,
July 7, at the ADP Virtual Convention. Summary (Updated Jul 11;
originally posted Jun 19):
- Achievement in Audio Description – Performing Arts: Broadway
Sacramento
- Special Recognition Achievement in Audio Description — Performing
Arts: Mary Hanks
- Achievement in Audio Description – Media: Disney+/The Walt
Disney Company
- Achievement in Audio Description – Visual
Art/Museums/Visitor Centers: Michele Hartley
- Achievement in Audio Description – International: VocalEyes
(U.K.)
- Special Recognition Achievement in Audio Description –
International: Audio Described Aotearoa Ltd. (New Zealand)
- Dr. Margaret R. Pfanstiehl Memorial Achievement Award in Audio
Description – Research and Development: United Airlines
- Barry Levine Memorial Award for Career Achievement in Audio
Description: Matthew J. Kaplowitz
ADP Convention Agenda
This
year's ACB Conference will be held as a
virtual conference (via Zoom) from 9:30am to 9:30pm daily
starting July 3. The ADP
Conference will be held each afternoon Mon-Fri at various times,
plus some pre-conference specials. If you did not
preregister, the one-time cost to
attend the ADP Zoom sessions (and all the ACB sessions) will be $35 during the Conference.
Registration will open on Thursday July 2
from noon to 5:00 PM eastern time. To register
please have your credit card available for payment and call
(612) 332-3242. This is the only way for you to
register,
you cannot register online. Here is the agenda (or read the
detailed
agenda, including the ACB Radio sessions):
- Fri Jul 3, 6pm: 2020 Academy Award Winner for BEST
PICTURE, Parasite. The catch is that this
film is NOT available in the USA with audio description, but
WE HAVE A COPY WITH DESCRIPTION! Audio only.
- Sat Jul 4, 7:30pm: Disney's Pick of
the Litter, with one of the participants present to
answer questions. Audio only.
- Sat Jul 4 9pm: Described 2019 Fireworks from
the Mall in Washington, DC. Audio only.
- Mon Jul 6 4:30pm: Features and Functions of the ADP
Website
- Mon Jul 6 7:30pm: Entertainment and Media Industry Update with
panelists discussing their audio description offerings
- Tue Jul 7, 12:30pm: AD Achievement
Award Winners
- Tue Jul 7, 3pm: FCC Legislative Update
- Wed Jul 8 4:30pm: The National Park Service and Audio
Description
- Thu Jul 9 3pm: Strategies for Cord-Cutting or Do You
Stream?
- Fri Jul 10 3 pm: Audio Description and Quality
Control-the Hiring of Description Producers/Describers and
Audio Editors
- Fri Jul 10, 8pm: ACB "Banquet" speaker: Roy
Samuelson,
a leading Audio Description Narrator. Roy will be
sharing how his firm informs, inspires, and recruits
relevant organizations into a new initiative in blind
audience empowerment.
- All week: Various audio described tours on
ACB Radio,
replayed at 9am, 9pm, and 3am. (Updated
Jun 30)
Dolby Atmos AD - Please!
Disability advocate and writer Jonathan Mosen has written an interesting
blog post about the shortcuts that providers take in not offering audio
description tracks with the latest Dolby audio technologies. Reflecting
on how a person who is blind depends so much on hearing, he states:
"This sort of immersive sound experience is ideal for blind people."
Read: Atmos Fear.
Blind people like me are an ideal audience for stunning Dolby Atmos sound, but
most studios are locking us out. (Posted Jun 30)
Australia Now Offering TV AD
In Australia, both the
ABC and
SBS networks are now offering around 14 hours of Audio Description per
week across their respective channels. Click the network names to learn
more. (Posted Jun 23)
One Small, Easy Way to Make the Oscars More Inclusive
A recent article on the daily news site Slate
reinforces (and references) the ACB's point made in a
March letter to the Academy of Motion Picture
Arts and Sciences (home of the Oscars) that any nomination for Best
Picture must be accessible via closed captioning and audio description.
Read
One Small, Easy Way to Make the Oscars More Inclusive. See also
a June 1 article:
Oscars: audio description brings film to life for blind people, it deserves an
award too. (Posted Jun
23)
Online Art Viewing
The Coronavirus has made online viewing of art more important than ever.
But is it accessible online?
Online Art Viewing Is Finally Being Embraced—But Does That Make It More
Accessible? addresses this question (Posted Jun 16)
Audio Described Dance
For a limited time you may view the
Alvin
Ailey American Dance Theater: Chroma, Grace, Takademe, Revelations (Audio
Description Version) on YouTube. Feedback can be sent to
access@lincolncenter.org.
Be sure to tell them if you want more! (Posted Jun 11)
Live Remote Broadcasts With AD in Brazil
The worldwide need for social distancing has led to the creation of new
solutions to everyday problems, and providing Audio Description is no
exception. Learn how this was accomplished in Brazil recently in the
article,
Live Remote Broadcasts With Audio Description in Brazil. (Posted Jun
9)
Attention Content Providers:
Why Audio Description
Needs To Be a Priority
What is it, examples, different types of AD, laws, how to provide it,
standards, and even tools -- this article has it all!
Why Audio
Descriptions Need to Be a Priority for Your Content. (Posted Jun 9)
FCC Proposes Expanding Video Description
Updated With Alternate Response Method
The comment period for the FCC's proposal to
start phasing in new television markets required to pass through audio description
has begun. The proposal is to
start January 2, 2021, expanding at a rate of 10 markets per year for four years,
bringing the current 60 markets
to 100. They will also consider expanding this number beyond 100.
Also, at the urging of the ACB/ADP, they have proposed using the term 'audio
description' rather than 'video description' in the future in accordance
with a recent recommendation from the Commission’s Disability Advisory
Committee (in which the ACB participates).
YOUR COMMENTS ARE REQUIRED to get this implemented!
Read the FCC Proposal; then submit your comments using the
Express
form. The Proceeding Number is 11-43 for the
first field. Comment briefly on either or both the market expansion
and/or eliminating the term "video description." You can also
check this
user's experience filing the form. The deadline is June 22.
Additional response option: If
you would like the ACB to submit your response for you, send your name, city
and state, phone number and email address to
advocacy@acb.org, along with your comments regarding either or both the
market expansion and/or eliminating the term "video description" no later
than Friday, June 19. (Updated Jun 9)
Jun
24,2020:
NAB Seeks Delay of Video Description Expansion.
Enhancements to This Website
With some extra stay-at-home time on his hands, your webmaster has made the
following enhancements to this website:
- Spectrum Access listings have been
added, both as a unique link in the navigation area and to the Master AD
list.
- The Disney+ AD Titles listing now has a
separate listing at the bottom of USA titles with foreign language
description.
- For the Prime Video AD Titles listing,
the "Included (Free) With Prime" titles are now broken out at the
bottom, along with the list of free titles on IMDB TV, and the titles
now all have links to Prime Video. In addition, movie release
years are now included in the listing, when available.
- In the Master AD List, if you click on
"DVD" after a title, you go directly to the DVD description; and for the
streaming services, you go to the index letter matching the first letter
in the title, in the cases where titles are indexed.
The Oscars Needs an AD Award!
Here is another article (see previous one)
expressing the need for the Oscars to recognize audio description:
Oscars: audio description brings film to life for blind people, it deserves an
award too. As the author writes, "As my
research
shows, audio description is a valid and valuable creative art. Why,
then, are audio describers not even acknowledged, let alone awarded, at
cinema’s most glittering ceremonies?" (Posted June 2)
Audio Description Narrator Training
In what may be a first-of-its-kind, distinguished AD Narrator Roy Samuelson
is offering to train voice-over artists in the nuances required for excellent
AD narration in this limited-attendance June 11th seminar.
Read more about the AD Narrator Seminar.
(Posted Jun 2)
Three Weeks in Athens, All About AD!
Last December, ADP Project Director Dr. Joel Snyder traveled to Greece on a
Fulbright Specialist Grant for a three-week residency giving a series of
seminars, workshops, and public programs on audio description.
Read about Joel's trip. (Posted May 26)
Spectrum Access: Enabled Media
Remember
Actiview? It allowed you to download a
limited number of Audio Description tracks to your iPhone for use in a cinema
or at home for private listening to the AD track while watching a movie --
great if someone with you didn't need or want to hear the track. Now
Charter Communications (who owns the Spectrum
brand) has picked up the App, renamed it Spectrum Access: Enabled
Media, kept it free, and has over 300 AD tracks available
for downloading! (It also supports Closed Captions, but not Cinema at
this time.) We've created
a list of Spectrum Access titles and integrated
Spectrum Access into our Master AD List.
Thank you Charter! (Here is Actiview's
"Goodbye" message to users.) (Updated May 19)
Audio Descriptions for 360-Degree Video
Equal Entry, a global
company which helps businesses accommodate the needs of persons with
disabilities using technology, has released a video of a recent seminar
entitled
Audio Descriptions for 360-Degree Video. The purpose of the seminary
was "to share our research on audio descriptions (AD) for immersive media, and
start a conversation with the wider accessibility community about where to go
from here ... [to answer the question] Under what circumstances could there be
a benefit to having a live audio describer for content that was not originally
designed with accessibility in mind?" Because the video was projected
all around the participants, special challenges were encountered addressing
which way the participant was facing. (Posted May 19)
Call for Nominations for the
Annual ADP Achievement Awards
FINAL CALL!!! HONOR
SOMEONE!
It's
that time once again when YOU get to nominate a PERSON or ORGANIZATION
that you feel has made a major contribution to audio description
over time. There are SIX nominations categories, and you can
submit your nomination online or by mail. Full instructions
are contained on our
Call
for Nominations page, or go directly to our
online nomination form. You can also listen to a
30-second PSA for the Awards.
Nominations close Friday May 29th! (Updated
May 26)
"One World
Together" on CBS With AD
CBS has released an audio described
version of "One World Together." You can access it via the CBS All
Access App or online at this address:
CBS One World Together. To access the description track online, you
will need to use the Tool menu in the upper right of the screen for "Subtitles
+ Audio." (Updated Apr 28)
Streaming Titles With AD: Recommendations
ADP Steering Committee Co-Chair Carl Richardson offers some recommendations
for what audio described programming to
watch on various streaming services while you are staying at home due to
the Coronavirus. (Posted Apr 7)
Audio Description Podcasts
Listen to this recent podcast entitled
Enjoying the Movies After Vision Loss with Audio Description.
Then check out our list of current first-run
films with AD in local cinemas, or read all about
Audio Description at the Movies.
Life After Blindness has a new podcast entitled
An Audio Description Extravaganza!, covering the following:
"[A conversation with] audio description narrator and voiceover
artist, Roy Samuelson about the creation process and the current
state of audio described content. Then ... how to turn on the audio
described track within 5 of the top video streaming services. And
... the availability of audio description, accessibility and the
future of AD."
See our list of additional podcasts
covering Audio Description. (Updated Mar 31)
Audio Description Roundtable
On Sunday, March 29, the ADP conducted its first Audio Description
Roundtable. 64 people connected via Zoom. After brief statements
by the four hosts (Kim Charlson, Carl Richardson, Joel Snyder, and Fred
Brack), we opened the line to questions, and lots of good information about AD
(streaming in particular) was exchanged! You can
listen to the Roundtable now, and hopefully you will join us in the future
for another one. (Posted Mar 31)
Airline Information and Entertainment Access
Act
On
March 19, U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA), Ranking Member of the Senate
Special Committee on Aging, and his Senate Democratic colleagues
introduced the Airline Information and Entertainment Access Act
(S.3473). This bill would require airline carriers to provide
access to in-flight safety information, general announcements and
entertainment options for people with disabilities.
Read more about S.3473. (Posted Mar 24)
ACB Advocates for AD at the Oscars
In a letter addressing four separate topics, ACB President Dan
Spoone has written to David Rubin, president of the Academy of Motion
Picture Arts and Sciences (home of the Oscars). Of special
interest is our request that no picture be allowed nomination for
Best Picture unless it has both an audio description track and captioning.
This was inspired by the fact that this year's award winner (Parasite)
does not meet this criterion. Other topics include the establishment
of award categories related to AD and the development of AD for
older films.
Read the David
Rubin letter and an article referenced in it, "Oscars:
audio description brings film to life for blind people, it deserves
an award too." (Posted Mar 3)
:
See this June 2020 article on Slate emphasizing the
problem and supporting the ACB's position:
One Small, Easy Way to Make the Oscars More Inclusive.
BADIE Contest Winners Announced
The
winners of the BADIE Contest (Benefits of Audio Description
in Education) have been announced! The grand prize winner
is Lina Minarra for her
review of
the film "Curiosity Quest: Guide Dogs," available from DCMP.
(Posted Mar 3)
Prime Video Web Player AD Shortcut
The
Prime Video Web Player now supports a keyboard shortcut for switching
audio languages and turning on Audio Descriptions. This change
enables Prime Video users to easily switch to a new audio language
or turn on Audio Description by simply pressing the 'A'
key when playing a title. This will automatically
switch to the next available audio track (including the AD track
if available). This shortcut works on all desktop browsers
that support Prime Video. Once a user has selected an AD audio
track when playing a title, this setting will persist for future
titles, and Prime Video will automatically select the AD track if
available. You can also see
Other Keyboard Shortcuts On Prime Video. (Posted Mar 3)
Improving Video Accessibility Without AD
In
How audio can improve accessibility for TV and film audiences,
the author explores how filmmakers can make films more accessible
even before using audio description. (Posted Feb 25)
8 of 9 Oscar Nominees for Best Picture Have AD
(but
not the Winner!)
- The Irishman - Netflix
- Jojo Rabbit - Cinema
- Joker - DVD, ITunes, Amazon Prime Video
- Little Women - Cinema
- Marriage Story - Netflix
- 1917 - Cinema
- Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood - DVD, ITunes, Amazon Prime Video
- Ford v Ferrari - Cinema
The ninth nominee, Parasite (now available on DVD), does not have description
(nor is it dubbed in English).
On February 9, it won the award for Best Picture. (Updated Feb 11)
Accessibility Partner Bridge Multimedia Honored
Cynopsis Best of the Best
Awards. Bridge Multimedia is a significant producer of audio
description, and in particular, children's programming, much of which is
featured in the Litton Saturday morning series of children's programming on
four networks. These Cynopsis awards given on February 6th honor them as an Accessibility
partner of the winning programs. (Posted Feb 11)
Free Described Movies on IMDb TV
IMDb, the Internet Movie Database,
is owned by Amazon. In addition to their well-known online database of
movie data, they operate a FREE streaming service called
IMDb TV which includes
some audio described content. There are several ways to access the
content. (1) Online in a browser via the link above. (2) Via the
IMDb TV App, if you have a Fire Stick or other Fire product. (3) Via the
IMDb TV App on your mobile phone. (4) Or via the
Prime Video App on any device (remember, Amazon owns both services).
What's the catch? Ads. Ads support the free viewing. If
you find a title via Prime Video, you will have a choice of watching right
away, right there, free with ads, or renting or buying from Prime Video
without ads.
Its free via any of the other IMDb TV options directly, though a free ID is
required. Unfortunately, there is no list from Amazon of IMDb described titles at present, so
we are adding this information to our Prime Video AD Titles listing, since they are all a subset of
Prime Video titles. Here is a list of current titles.
(Originally Posted Jan 21; titles updated Feb 11)
[Since over time the titles change, visit
IMDb Free AD Titles
for the current list]
Audio Description Narrators of America
Last Week of the Contest!
theADNA.org (The
Audio Description Narrators of
America) is a new website which links Audio Description
Narrators (the voice-over artists who read audio description scripts) with
their film credits for blind and low vision audiences. As the site
continues to evolve, they need your help to grow the content by contributing
publicly available information on narrators and the features and series they
narrate. So they are doing a 4 week promotion to get you more directly
involved.
Beginning January 7th and continuing for the next 7 days, you can
contribute video titles and their narrators by emailing
admin@theADNA.org with as much detail as you can. On the 14th, the highest
contributor will receive a free month of the streaming service of their
choice, up to $20. They will continue this for an additional 3 weeks, giving out
4 one-month subscriptions! At the end of the 4 weeks, the person who has
contributed the most titles and their narrators during the 4 weeks gets one
year of the streaming service of their choice, up to $240! Really!
Only the first NEW submission of a pairing will count, of course. While we encourage
narrators themselves to submit their own titles (along with a brief bio), these awards
are intended for our audiences. Per ADNA management, all legal disclaimers for this kind of
promotion apply. (Updated Jan 29)
A World of Discovery with AD Services
Frankly we don't know more than the title (above) of this online "event,"
but Mystic Access is providing this free live event Thursday,
January 30, at 8:30 PM Eastern time. There are several ways to
participate. (Posted Jan 28)
Over 300 Disney+ Described Titles Available
Earlier
in December we released the first official list of audio described
titles available on the new
Disney+
streaming service in the USA. Since then we have added more titles, and we are
up to 309 as of January 7. All Disney+
Originals include description, and there are movies from the first half of the
last century there! As a reminder, some Disney titles are under exclusive
contract to other streaming services as far out as late 2021 and are not
included yet. We are able to list those titles appearing in the next 30
days however, and you will find trailers for future titles, many with
description, on the service. (Updated Jan 7)
Described DVD History
169 DVDs with Audio Description were released in 2019, three more than last year.
Historically, from 1997 to 2009, only 47 DVDs were released with description.
The number doubled in the next 5 years, but then started to take off in 2015.
We stand at a grand total of over 1200 available today (and yes, they are all still available).

2019
A Look Back at Audio Description in 2019
by Fred Brack, Webmaster
As I look back at the events of 2019 from my perspective as the guy who
collects and presents all the details of who-releases-what in the area of
audio description, my number one impression is WOW! — what a huge increase in
the amount of audio description available in 2019! The increase is primarily in
the area of streaming services. We closed out 2018 with 2177 videos
available with description on three streaming services (iTunes, Netflix, and
Prime Video), and we are ending up 2019 with a whopping 4326 described titles
(some duplicated of course) across six streaming services (now adding Apple TV+, Disney+, and Hulu), an
increase of 99%. On 12/31/2019, there were 3661 unique titles
(movies and series) available with description in theaters, on DVD, on TV, and
on the six streaming services.
Who stands out as major contributors to that effort? Number 1 would
have to be Amazon Prime Video, where the team bent over
backwards to bring us 1212 more videos during 2019, an increase of
275% over YE2018,
pushing Prime Video to the #1 supplier position with 1652 described titles. I feel that number 2
is the team at Disney for premiering a new streaming
service with over 300 described videos on day 1. And some of
those described videos were produced as far back as the 1930s! And number 3 would be
Paramount Studios, who took the time, effort, and money to
go back and create audio description tracks for over 150 old movies that
didn't have them, making them available to the streaming services. I
sure wish other studios would do the same. Thank you, thank you to all
who contributed.
Apple's iTunes and Netflix folks are to be complimented
as well on their steady
increase in described videos, and their willingness to listen to customer
requests for specific description tracks. And of course while it is in
its infancy, the new Apple TV+ service has provided description for
all its
original offerings not just in English, but in eight more languages!
Wow again.
We have three studios audio describing all their mainstream DVDs:
Disney, Sony, and lesser-known Summit.
See my report elsewhere on this page. We now have 1201 DVDs with Audio
Description tracks available.
Finally, I would like to thank my two regular contributors to this
website: Sebastian Andrade-Miles for the weekly described TV listings,
and Vicki Vogt for the list of current movies described in theaters. I
also appreciate the contributions of ADP Committee members (especially
Carl Richardson) who send me
pointers to articles and other information, and the various users of this
website who do the same. I wish all of our website visitors a Happy
New Year filled with wonderful description opportunities for both providers
and users! (Posted Dec 31)
Year-End Report Card on DVDs by Studio
Here are my summary comments about described
DVDs based on a study of 415 DVDs from 58 studios identified from
January-December 2019. (Posted Dec 31)
- Disney, Sony, and
Summit described 100% of their movie DVDs.
Outstanding!
- Fox and Paramount described
88% and 80% respectively. Very Good and Good,
respectively.
- Universal and Warner Bros
described 57% and 56% respectively. Room for
Improvement...
- Once again, Lionsgate takes last place among
major studios with only 14% of their DVDs described, a terrible
track record. Come on, guys!
-
Shout! Factory (18 DVDs) finally got in the game with two
(and only two) described DVDs mid-year. More
please!
- Among the smaller studios releasing 10 or more DVDs this past
year with none described, we have Cinedigm (13
DVDs), Gravitas (10 DVDs), and Image
Entertainment (10 DVDs). Time to get
onboard!
- The Watch List (5 to 9 DVDs, none described) consists of
Magnolia and Well Go. Better
start thinking about AD!
- In our analysis of all 415 DVDs identified by the
DVDs
Release Dates site and/or located in stores in 2019, only
41%
(169) had
description tracks, an 8% (3 percentage points) improvement over last year,
though it is interesting to see that the total number of DVDs has
been steadily declining.
Actiview Acquired by Charter Communications
According to Actiview developer Alex Koren, Actiview and its App have been
acquired by Charter Communications. Where they go from here is unknown. Alex was off to a good start offering
description tracks on an iPhone for personal listening but got resistance from
studios. While we don't
integrate Actiview's description tracks into our Master AD list anymore, you
can still read which movies are supported on our
Actiview Audio Described Titles page; however, we don't know the future of
the App. (Updated Dec 31)
Lots of Updates to Our Streaming AD Page
Recently we have made many updates to our page dedicated to which streaming
services offer audio description. We added Apple TV+ and Disney+ details
of course, but we also added information about Apps like Channels
and Philo. If an App (like Philo) interests you but
doesn't support Audio Description (it doesn't), then please take the time to
write their Customer Service folks and ask for it! Tell them you would
be a subscriber if they added it. Take a look at our
Streaming AD page! (Posted Dec 10)
The A-List Celebrity of the Blind & Visually Impaired
Community
That's the title of the lead article in the December 2019 issue of
"Captivating" Magazine, whose motto is "Inclusion is Limitless." And who
is this person they are writing about? Why it's Roy Samuelson,
master audio narrator and friend of the Audio Description Project.
You can view/listen to the interview or read the transcript, where you
will learn how his interest in and later career in audio description narration
started at a ride in Disney World. (Posted Dec 10)
Facebook "Birthday Fundraiser" Yields Over $600 to
Support the ADP!
Well-known audio narrator (the voice you hear providing audio description
for TV and movies) Roy Samuelson began a "Birthday Fundraiser" on Facebook
last September. The simple announcement encouraged friends to make a donation
to the ACB in honor of his birthday, and all funds collected were sent by
Facebook to the ACB to be used to support this project (ADP). Way to go, Roy
and friends! If you have a lot of Facebook friends, maybe you could do the
same! Visit this Facebook page to
setup a
Birthday Fundraiser for the ADP, then drop us a note so we can follow-up. (Posted Dec 3)

All Things Audio Description Podcast
On this episode of the ACB Advocacy Update podcast, Claire and Clark
discuss all things audio description with Dr. Joel Snyder and Carl Richardson.
They highlight the great work of the Audio Description Project, including the
Benefits of Audio Description in Education Contest, as well as the 16th Audio
Description Institute, and the rapidly evolving landscape of streaming
services providing accessible user interfaces and audio described programming.
Listen to the podcast. (Posted Dec 3)
AD Titles Milestones Reached!
In a sense they are arbitrary, but we like "round numbers."
Congratulations to both Netflix and Amazon Prime Video for breaking
1000 titles each the week of October 15! (iTunes already did.) And in
turn, that lets us break the 3000 described titles mark [
OVER 3400 TITLES NOW! ] in our
Master AD List (which has been reformatted slightly to make it easier to
get more information about each title). (Updated Nov 27)
Time is Running Out to Enter
The 2020 BADIE Contest!
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. LAST DAY TO ENTER IS
FRIDAY DECEMBER 6! Read the details
about entering the BADIE Contest! (Updated Nov 27)
Cord Cutting With AD in Mind
With cable and satellite TV costs rising, many customers (1.7 million in
3Q19) are investigating cord cutting, looking for lower-cost alternatives.
This becomes even more important as the streaming wars heat up, with
additional fees for their services. But what is a person to do if they
depend upon that good old SAP channel for audio description? Your
webmaster faced this decision and investigated many options. You can
read his report of how to approach the problem, what solutions are out there,
and what he finally decided upon, with a complete review of that service on
our new page, Cord-Cutting Options Supporting
Audio Description. We hope to keep expanding this page as we get
other users' success stories -- and we have one already for
The Channels App. Send your feedback to the webmaster.
(Updated Nov 12)
New Website Navigation and Listings
With the addition of Apple TV+ and Disney+, we needed new navigation options to cover
the described titles from both streaming services. This
necessitated a review of how we are offering those options to you, and we
decided to revamp the header and navigation areas of our website pages as you
can see above. We have added a couple of other new navigation options:
Our Conferences and an "Other" listing of
titles available with AD from sites other than the biggies we list (we expect
this to grow over time). We hope you find this useful and welcome your
feedback. (Updated Nov 12)
Audio-Described Painted Hall Tour - UK
Discover the UK’s Sistine Chapel: the Painted Hall at Greenwich’s Old
Royal Naval College, an epic 18th-century masterpiece has now reopened
following an £8.5 million makeover. Painted between 1707 and 1726, the Painted
Hall at the Old Royal Naval College is Britain’s largest painted ceiling and
hides many surprises. The tour is delivered by an expert tour guide who has
been trained in audio-description by
VocalEyes.
Read more about the November 16th tour. (Posted Oct 29)
Halloween Videos With Description
Some years back, VITAC, the nation's largest captioning company, Audio
Description Associates, LLC, and the ACB's own Audio Description Project
teamed up to caption and describe four public domain videos/films over four
years at Halloween time. The cinematic horror treats are posted on YouTube,
and we invite you to enjoy them … and try not be too frightened! The
links to the films are as follows:
Happy Halloween! And for those of you with kids with visual
impairment, you may wish to check out this piece from the AFB on
Halloween Tips. (Posted Oct 19)
Newly Audio Described USA TV Programs
Most of these are NEW shows this fall, but
two are newly audio described existing shows.
mixed-ish, Tuesdays at 9pm;
Emergence, Tuesdays at 10pm;
Stumptown, Wednesdays at 10pm;
Grand Hotel,
Mondays at 10pm;
Kids Say the Darndest Things, premieres Sunday October 6 at
8pm.
Seal Team season premiere Tuesday October 1 at 9pm.
Bless the Harts, Sundays at 8:30pm;
Prodigal Son, Mondays at 10pm;
Almost Family, Wednesdays at 9pm.
Bluff City Law, Mondays at 10pm;
This Is
Us, season premiere Tuesday September 24 at 9pm.
Knife or Death, various times.
House Hunters Family, check local listing for times.
Treadstone, premiering October 15 at 10pm.
SATURDAY MORNING CHILDREN'S SHOWS:
Hearts of Heroes
Best Friends Furever with Kel Mitchell; Mission
Unstoppable; Pet Vet Dream Team
A New Leaf
See our Daily
TV Schedule and TV Schedule by Network.
FCC Report to Congress
On October 10, the FCC published its Report to Congress on the status of
Video Description in the USA.
Read our summary of the FCC Report, with a link to the full report.
(Originally Posted Oct 10)
Nomination for Audio Description Narration
For most movies and TV shows, the job of getting description to you lies
with two professionals: an audio description WRITER, and the person who
VOICES the description (a voice-over artist or narrator). For what is
perhaps the first time, a professional organization (SOLAS, the Society of
Voice Artists and Sciences) has nominated an audio description narrator for an
award. The category is "Outstanding Narration – TV, Film or Web – Best
Voiceover," and the nominee is Roy Samuelson for his work on Universal's 2019
release of
Glass. It's great to see any component of audio description get
recognition like this, and we congratulate Roy on the nomination and wish him
luck! (And speaking of Roy, here is yet another article on audio
description by or about Roy:
Bringing TV and Movies to Life with Audio Description.) (Posted Oct 8)
Hulu Addresses Accessibility
On October 3, Hulu published a Press Release entitled
Making Hulu More Accessible than Ever Before. They have been
addressing "accessible design," and for "this round of improvements, we
focused on text legibility and screen reader capabilities." They are
beginning to roll out improvements in this area starting with Roku devices.
This is not the same as having AD tracks available on all devices, though,
which is a future objective. (Posted Oct 8)
FCC Grants Limited Waiver to USA Network
We previously reported that USA Network
had requested a waiver from the FCC regarding the number of hours of described
programming, specifically regarding repeats. The FCC has decided the
issue as follows:
"On October 7, 2019, the FCC's Media Bureau granted a
limited waiver requested by NBCUniversal ... on behalf of its wholly
owned nonbroadcast programming network, USA Network, of the Commission's
video description rules, as long as USA Network airs at least 1,000 hours of
described programming each quarter without regard to the number of repeats
and describes at least 75 percent of any newly produced, non-live
programming that is aired between 6:00 a.m. and midnight per quarter.
However, the FCC declined to grant NBCUniversal's proposed safe harbor from
the video description requirements for other similarly situated, top five
nonbroadcast networks." (Posted Oct 8)
Disability Advisory Committee Recommendations to the FCC
Several
ADP committee members are on the FCC's Disability Advisory Committee (DAC).
On September 24th, the DAC finalized a recommendation to the FCC on the
subject of Described Audio TV Listings.
Ultimately, they recommend that "the Commission encourage all networks,
channels, cable, satellite, fiber, streaming, and other services that provide
video programming with audio description to provide timely, accurate program
listings in accessible form, including ... on aggregator services, on their
own websites, and in program guides." Interestingly, they also recommend
that the FCC drop the term "video description" in favor of the
well-established term "audio description" and "encourage other entities to do the
same as a best practice." They also recommend that the FCC adopt and recommend that others
adopt the well-known Graphic Artists Guild AD
symbol (above right) as the official standardized logo.
Read the full
DAC Recommendation. (Posted Oct 1)
Lisa Hoffman
Our
ADP friend Lisa Helen Hoffman passed away peacefully on September 23 with
family and friends at her side. I spoke with Lisa just a few weeks ago
and can tell you that she was
honored to have been selected to be a part of our work on behalf of ACVREP's
development of a certification effort for audio describers and audio
description consultants. Lisa was an active audio description consultant
as well as a long-time audio description consumer; her decades-long work with
the Geva Theater in Rochester, NY and the University of Rochester's Memorial
Art Gallery was well-respected and resulted in broad access to those arts
institutions for people who are blind. She was the recipient of the ACB
Audio Description Project Achievement Award in Performing Arts in 2009. More
about her life and career is at:
http://www.lhhconsulting.com/about-the-owner.html.
Lisa's
commitment to audio description will be remembered so positively -- her
devotion to arts access services is a model for all who care about the arts
and their availability to all. She will be greatly missed. --
Joel Snyder (Posted Sep 24)
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)

"What Just Happened"?
Yes, the words of many blind individuals watching a movie or play.
Read one person's
thoughts on the "What Just Happened?" dilemma. (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)
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)
CBS All Access App Begins Offering AD
The
CBS All Access App offers access to live content (in select
markets) and over 10,000 previous episodes via streaming devices. In August
2019, they began to offer audio described content for such programs as
NCIS (current season);
Star Trek Discovery; The Twilight Zone; and The Good Fight.
ABC has offered AD in their free Watch ABC App for a long time, but NBC and
Fox do not offer AD in their apps; so CBS is a welcome addition. There
is a fee for service for most content ($6 or $10/month). See
more info on the CBS App. (Aug 20; Updated Aug
27)
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 Description For Small Dance Companies
While audio description for people with visually impairment is not a
wholly unknown service in the Bay Area (San Jose-based
AudioVision
frequently describes shows for both
SHN and
the Curran Theatres in San
Francisco), it hasn’t much penetrated the strata of smaller and more
experimental theater and dance companies. Jess Curtis wants to change that.
Read:
Telling While Showing: New Audio Description Services from Jess Curtis/Gravity.
"Through Gravity, [Curtis] hopes to help foster a growing awareness of
accessibility for all—and not just in the larger theaters. In fact, with a
grant from the Haas Foundation, Curtis' company can offer other Bay Area
companies the opportunity to host audio description services at their shows
for a reduced cost through the end of 2019."
Dr. Joel Snyder and Esther Geiger, a Laban Movement Analyst, went to San
Francisco last year to train Jess Curtis and Gravity in audio description
technique. (Posted Aug 13)
[Photo Credit: Meegan Hertensteiner dances in an audio-described
production of Deborah Slater's Solos Lost and Found at SFIAF. (Deborah
Slater)]
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
Cord-Cutting and AD
Lots of folks are investigating cord-cutting these days. Cord-cutting
is when you drop a cable or satellite contract and use alternative, cheaper
solutions to access networks of interest. There are many considerations
and numerous options; but of prime interest to visitors to this website is
whether or not the proposed solution passes through audio description (the
"SAP Channel"). If you have experience good or bad in this area, please
write the webmaster or post to our discussion list. (Posted Aug 20)
Commercials With AD
Some companies have released TV commercials with audio description.
We congratulation the companies for the brands we know about: Bounty,
Head and Shoulders, Pampers, Subaru, and Wells Fargo. We are seeking
permission to replay them here, but in the meantime we simply wish to
acknowledge the accessibility efforts of these companies. (Posted Aug
20)
Edinburgh Festival: Many Performances With AD
Each August, Edinburgh, Scotland, offers five separate events as part of
the
Edinburgh Festival. Most run throughout the month. ADA
Scotland provides audio description for many of the events. For a list
of described events, please see the
ADA Scotland AD
Listings page. (Posted Aug 13)
Audio Description for All
Audio narrator Roy Samuelson (NCIS, Bosch, movies) has written
an article entitled
Did You Know Of This Way To Enjoy Movies and TV Shows?.
While he "explains" audio description, he also notes: "While
supporting the blind and low vision community is an integral part
of this work, sighted audiences can also enjoy the benefits
of Audio Description, particularly when commuting, cooking, giving
their eyes a break from staring at a screen, or helping keep track
of multiple characters." Those of us (like your webmaster)
who are spouses or partners of AD users already reap these benefits!
Enjoy the article and share it with those who could benefit.
July 30: Roy has been interviewed in yet another podcast:
Blind Abilities Super Duper Extra: Spider-Man: Far From Home is
Here, And Audio Describer Roy Samuelson Spins His Own Web on
Audio Description. You'll hear excerpts of shows he's
done, some not released yet, and his discussion with a fan of
his work. You may also choose to read a
transcript of the Blind Abilities podcast. You'll find
other podcasts with Roy referenced in
this article from our archives.
July 30: And here's another interesting podcast, though
not with Roy:
How Do You Watch Movies If You Can’t See?. This one is
on Spotify, for which you can get a free subscription. The
producer is "The Be My Eyes Podcast." (Updated Jul 30)
Describe and Draw: Life-drawing workshop
Our friends in the UK have an interesting opportunity coming up on August
10th: an
audio described drawing class specifically designed for blind and low
vision visitors. No experience necessary, and free! How about some
places in the USA doing this? (Posted July 30, via
VocalEyes)
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)
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)
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)
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)
Technology Makes Museums More Accessible
Museums nationwide are working to make their collections more
accessible for people with disabilities. Some artists are
making touchable adaptations of their works. Or imagine passing
your "hands along the raised figures in touchable versions of a
Vietnam War photograph, [where] small metal sensors [touch] off
recordings to explain whose picture [you are] touching and what
had happened to him" -- an interesting form of audio description!
Read
3-D photographs? Technology makes museums more accessible.
Two other articles on museums address other accessibility features:
Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose and the
first phase of Barrier Free Kerala, India. (Posted Jun
11)
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)
Input Requested on TV AD Listings
We at the ADP try to offer you consolidated listings of described TV
offerings ... only because no one else does! Most of the TV Networks
either have no listing or unreliable ones. The ACB is trying to
influence the FCC to require networks to either offer accurate listings or
contributed to a central database. What do YOU think? Where do
YOU get your listing data? Are the network listings ACCURATE and
ACCESSIBLE? Please
drop a note to our own Carl Richardson, who is the Chair of the Video
Working Group for the FCC, with your answers. Thanks. (Posted Jun 11)
Podcast Interviews With Roy Samuelson
Roy Samuelson is one of Hollywood’s leading voiceover talents in film and
television. You've heard his AD narration of TV shows like NCIS and
Lethal weapon and movies such as Jurassic World. Listen to this podcast
where he is interviewed on
That Blind Tech
Show. And now there is a second podcast interview available from
The Association of Blind Citizens. (Updated Jun 4)
LAST CALL for Nominations:
11th Annual ADP Achievement
Awards
It's time once again to nominate individuals and organizations for our
annual "Achievement in Audio Description" awards. Categories are as
follows:
- Achievement in Audio Description - Media
- Achievement in Audio
Description - Performing Arts
- Achievement in Audio Description -
Museums/Visual Art/Visitor Centers
- Achievement in Audio Description -
International
- Dr. Margaret Pfanstiehl Memorial Award in Audio
Description - Research and Development
- Barry Levine Memorial Award for
Career Achievement in Audio Description
You can
read the
award nomination document and/or view past
winners.
Deadline is June 7. (Updated Jun 4)
Audio Described TV in Australia
Australia lags other developed nations in not offering audio description
via over-the-air TV. So recently, when a commercial with audio
description was aired, it was like a breath of fresh air for viewers with
visual impairment! Read:
Australia’s first totally accessible ad hits TV screens. (Posted May
28)
"The Vale" Arrives in August
Are you a gamer? How about a game that is described as an "audio-based
experience" that is specifically designed and developed with visually impaired
players in mind? It's coming in August. Read:
'The Vale,' a Video Game for the Visually Impaired, Coming to PC in August.
(Posted May 28)
Actiview at the Movies
Actiview (a free iPhone App) periodically releases description tracks for
first-run movies. Using the App with your iPhone in a movie theater
allows you better control over volume and type of earpiece than using a
cinema's AD units, which are sometimes flaky. At home, you can listen to
description while others don't have to. The following two description
tracks were released recently for new movies:
- Poms (PG-13)
- UglyDolls (PG)
There are a total of 28 Actiview description tracks available for free.
(Posted May 14)
Audio Description in China
Meet the woman making film accessible to the visually impaired is the
title of an article on Time Out Shanghai. Han Ying, who is visually
impaired, now edits audio description for films, and she discusses how she got
the job and what some of the challenges are. Her hope for the future is
the same as many others: "when someone walks into a cinema, with the
help of a chip and a pair of earphones, they’re able to enjoy most of the
latest films in most of the commercial cinemas and be surrounded by visually
abled people." Yes! (Posted Apr 23)
FCC Seeks YOUR Input on "Video Description"
*** LAST CALL ***
The FCC will continue to accept comments through MAY 1.
The ACB will forward
your comments on your behalf through MONDAY APRIL 29.
In preparation for a report to Congress, the FCC is soliciting input on
"recent developments in the video description marketplace." Those topics
which apply to consumers are as follows:
- The amount and types of programming described, including children's
programming and specific examples of what is watched.
- The extent to which household members, both visually impaired or
not, watch described programming.
- The ease with which consumers can access online guides, and how well
the networks inform you of their described programming.
- How well are networks making available Video-On-Demand of previously
described programming?
- Are there "any data points that quantify or otherwise capture
the benefits of video description for audiences"?
- Other questions are primarily for networks to answer.
This is an extremely important opportunity for each individual who enjoys
the benefits of described television programming to provide input!
Failing to respond means you are willing to let others decide how much
described programming you receive. PLEASE take the time to read the
following document and provide your input.
FCC 11-43 Document. (To read a version with all
the footnotes removed, use this Screen
Reader version of FCC 11-43 Document link.)
Then use the
Online
Express Input Form to submit comments. In the online input form, type
"11-43" in "Proceedings," press Enter, then continue through the
form. If you prefer to submit a Word or other format document, use the
Regular Filings
option, type "11-43" in "Proceedings," press Enter, then continue. Deadline
was April 1, but comments will be accepted through May 1!!!
Do
it now!
NEW REPLY OPTION:
You can
email your personalized comments to
advocacy@acb.org and the ACB national office will file your comments on your
behalf through Monday, April 29.
(Updated Apr
23)
Is AD the Future of TV Viewing?
Curtin research finds audio description key to future of television viewing.
That's the title of an article by an Australian University. Curiously,
they point out that "Australia is the only English-speaking nation in the OECD
[a 36-country consortium] not to offer audio description on free-to-air
television." Their theory is “Audio description would be attractive to
people who are multi-tasking while they are watching television and has the
potential to become another television accessibility feature that is embraced
by the mainstream population, just as closed captions have been.”
(Posted Apr 16)
The Wizardry of Audio Description
In the 1960s, Chet Avery, a blind theater-lover, now retired from the
Department of Education, conceived of audio description as a formal process
that could convey the visual images of theater performances to people who are
blind or have low vision.
Many years later, he enjoyed sharing described versions of movies with
his granddaughter, Kate. Kate grew to love the described versions –
"Grandpa's version" – and in an essay relates her enchantment with the
described VHS tape of "The Wizard of Oz" (with description provided by
WGBH).
Read Kate Avery's essay and
enjoy a clip from the
film. (Posted Apr 9)
The CW's In the Dark
offers a Saturday morning kids' series called One Magnificent
Morning with description. Now they are offering an original
prime time series Thursdays at 9pm called In the
Dark. Why is it described? Presumably because its leading
character is a blind woman! And that, of course, has lead to the
controversy that the actress (Perry Mattfeld) is not blind herself. Read
The CW’s In the Dark Is a Compelling Look at the Blind Experience.
Please note that since The CW is not a network mandated by the FCC to carry
description, you may or may not be able to receive description locally.
Also note that this show has adult themes. (Posted Apr 9)
Streaming Video Listings Unified

For the past few weeks we've been talking about modifications to our
streaming video listings for Hulu, iTunes, Netflix, and Prime Video
to add more and more features. Now, finally, they all contain the same
information: Title, Type (movie, series, etc.), link to content, genre,
and rating, PLUS we have separate by-genre listings for each service (except
Hulu).
Please note that each service assigns a primary genre to each video, and their
choice of genres may differ from service to service for the same title, plus
we "consolidate" similar genres for convenience. (Updated Apr 9)
ACVREP Audio Description Certification Subject Matter Expert Committee Formed
Last fall, the Academy for Certification of Vision Rehabilitation and
Education Professionals (ACVREP) announced it was recruiting individuals who
might wish to serve on its new Subject Matter Expert Committee for Audio
Description. Both a Certification Committee and an Advisory Board have
now been formed. The committee will be charged with crafting all
material related to the certification process for audio description.
Read the ACVREP Announcement.
(Posted Apr 3)
*** Hulu Begins Audio Description ***
Hulu has begun providing Audio
Description, and we are summarizing what we know on
our new Hulu page plus
including the programs in our
Master AD List. Note that audio description is only available
via a web browser initially.
And here is
an article about Hulu beginning description. (Updated Apr 3)
WMU Student Helps Launch AD for Theatre
The Kalamazoo (Michigan) Civic Theatre was approached by a patron
about offering audio description. Fortunately, they located Abby Tongue,
a student at Western Michigan University's Department of Blindness and Low
Vision Studies, who reached out to others, including the ACB, to prepare
herself to offer her services as an audio describer.
Read the story
of how this came about! (Posted Mar 12)
The Oscars: A Missing Award
They honor the script writers, but how about the audio describers?
"For blind cinema goers, audio description is a crucial part of any film.
It is just as important as acting, cinematography and score." That's the
premise of this article on The Conversation website entitled,
Oscars: audio description brings film to life for blind people, it deserves an
award too. The article concludes with, "It may be too late for
this year but it seems only right that an audio describer is properly awarded
at the 2020 Oscars." Read it and see if you agree! By the way, the
French Confederation for the Advancement of Blind People has addressed this
issue, as noted in the article. Très bien! (Posted Feb 26)
“Access,” a Short Film About Accessibility
It took Chris Higgins nearly four years to complete "Access," a short
documentary which "follows Cory Joseph through a typical day, showing how he
uses his smartphone, braille display, tactile watch, and guide dog (named
Vine) to navigate the world." He struggled with editing to allow for
audio description, but here's the great point of all this: "Ultimately I
decided that there should be only one version of this film, and it should
include Audio Description, because that makes the film accessible to a wider
audience. I think there’s a lesson for creative people: Even if you think you
'get it,' you might not be getting it. Leave room to reconsider."
Wow! Thank you Chris.
Read the Article and Watch Access. (Posted Feb 15)
From Our Friends in the UK:
Where is TV Audio
Description Heading in 2019
This
article from the BroadcastNow website in the UK addresses the same
frustration visually impaired TV watchers have in the USA and elsewhere:
a lot of top shows are not audio described or fail to be described later on
other platforms. (Posted Feb 15) Also in the UK (From Jan 9):
European Audio Subtitles Day
An
Audio Subtitles Day will be held in Barcelona on March 4 "to raise
awareness of the accessibility possibilities of existing subtitling assets."
(You may need to click through several lead-in pages,) (Posted Feb 15)
2019 BADIE Contest Winners Announced
The 2019 winners of the Benefits of Audio
Description In Education
have been announced. Congratulations to Grand Prize Winner John Holstein
from the West Virginia School for the Blind for his review of Snowflake
Bentley and Voyage to Mars -- and to all the other winners.
Read the BADIE Press Release. (Posted Feb 5)
Theater of the Mind
In the article,
Theater of the Mind: Washington Ear brings live theater to visually impaired,
the accomplishments of The
Metropolitan Washington Ear are discussed. The first audio
description of live theater took place in Washington in 1981. Now, a
team of 21 audio describers covers upwards of 60 plays a year in nine
theaters. This article is a great introduction to what audio description
is and its benefits! (Posted Feb 5)
Netflix Adds By-Genre AD Listings
At the urging of the Audio Description Project based on user feedback,
Netflix has modified their
Audio Description in English listing (only available to members) to
include separate links for audio described programs by genre. The genre
options are as follows: TV Shows, Action, Anime, Children & Family,
Comedies, Crime, Documentaries, Dramas, Horror, Independent, International,
Music & Musicals, Reality, Romance, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Stand-Up Comedy,
Thrillers. (Posted Feb 3)
Marilee Talkington Luncheon Address
Finally, we have excerpted the
luncheon
address by Marilee Talkington at our ADP Conference last July from an
otherwise damaged conference recording. Marilee is an actress with
significant visual impairment. She recounted for us her experience
trying to break into the commercial world of acting, and we play (on the
recording) an excerpt of her role in an NCIS episode last year. Listen
to the 40-minute MP3 file by clicking the link above. (Posted Jan 18)
Audio Description in Israel
In 2018, Israel's Central Library for the Blind received the annual Audio
Description Project's International award. Later this month (January 2019),
the Library will offer its first Audio Description training course.
Read about all the accomplishments the
library has made in the past year regarding audio description! (Posted
Jan 15)
CVAA Accessibility Rules Now Apply to Video Games
A waiver offering video games temporary exemption from the Communications
and Video Accessibility Act of 2010 has expired, meaning that games released
after the expiration date of December 31, 2018 have a set of new
communication-focused rules to keep in mind to stay on the up-and-up with the
Federal Communications Commission and dodge potential fines. Read
CVAA accessibility rules come into effect for games as FCC waiver expires.
(Posted Jan 9)
Inaccessible Specialty Video Websites
As a visually impaired gay man, author/journalist Belo Cipriani was excited
when he "heard about GayMovie Database — a new, online database of over 1,000
TV shows, as well as short and long movies of interest to the LGBTQ
community." Unfortunately, it wasn't very accessible. In this
article, he discusses his frustration with the pervasive problem about
websites ignoring accessibility upfront and the difficulties of retrofit.
Read Seeing in
the Dark: Debunking digital inclusion. (Posted Jan 9)
Audio Description Is For Sighted Folks, Too!
A
December article in The Slate highlights how GOOD audio description can enhance ANYONE's enjoyment
of a film. In
The Best Performance in A Christmas Prince Is the One You Never See
On Screen, the author declares, "in the case of A Christmas Prince, the audio description serves
another bonus function [beyond its intended audience], because it also happens
to be the ideal A Christmas Prince––watching companion." The author wisely
reminds us, "Good audio description does not call attention to itself."
She then goes on to compliment describer Roland Bearne's audio description.
Bearne (pictured), a Brit, has been describing for almost 20 years. (Posted Jan 1)
Happy 10th Birthday - Audio Description Project!
In January 2009, Joel Snyder and then-ACB president Chris Gray proposed the
establishment of an initiative to promote and celebrate the development of
audio description: the Audio Description Project (ADP). Kim Charlson led the
ADP's steering committee until her "promotion" several years ago to ACB
President. Since that time, Dan Spoone has ably steered the ADP toward its
current vibrant level of activity with the important contributions of Dr. Joel
Snyder, the Project's director, and Fred Brack, the ADP webmaster. For a
review of the ADP's accomplishment over the past decade and throughout 2018,
please read
Our First Decade
report.

Joel, Fred, Kim, and Dan
And Thanks Also to ...
Here's two more folks who bring contributions to this website each week.
Sebastian Andrade Miles, who pours over TV listings each week
to bring you our TV by Days
listing; and Vicki Vogt from the Perkins School for the Blind
Library, who each week compiles and circulates a detailed listing of all the
described movies currently showing in theatres. We extract them and
offer her listing to you under Cinema above.
Thanks! (Posted Jan 1)
