What is Audio Description? Last Updated May 27, 2008
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What is Audio Description?

Audio Description involves the accessibility of the visual images of theater, television, movies, and other art forms for people who are blind, have low vision, or who are otherwise visually impaired.  It is a narration service (provided at no additional charge to the patron) that attempts to describe what the sighted person takes for granted -- those images that a person who is blind or visually impaired formerly could only experience through the whispered asides from a sighted companion.

In theaters, in museums, and accompanying television, film, and video presentations, Audio Description is commentary and narration which guides the listener through the presentation with concise, objective descriptions of new scenes, settings, costumes, body language, and "sight gags," all slipped in between portions of dialogue or songs. 

How Do I Receive the Audio Description?

• In theaters and similar venues, the user hears the audio description via a small earpiece or earphones connected to a tiny receiver. 
• For live performances, a trained Audio Describer transmits the descriptions from elsewhere in the theater often using a court stenographer's mask microphone (picture right, describer holding mask mike to mouth). 
• For movies, the description generally has been prerecorded and synced to the movie soundtrack (though sometimes this is done live). 
• For television, the audio description is termed video description in the USA and is transmitted to the user via the Second Audio Program or SAP channel on their TV or VCR, which must be capable of receiving SAP signals.  Most TVs and VCRs manufactured since the early 1990s are equipped to receive SAP, which is usually activated through the MENU button on the remote.  See Accessing Audio Description on Your TV.
• For videos distributed on DVD, the audio description, when available, is accessed via the DVD menu for the movie as a special feature of the Languages menu.
• Some libraries distribute VHS tapes of older movies with audio description added.  Such tapes are also available for purchase at a few places.  See the links at the bottom of Audio Description for Movies and DVDs.

History of Audio Description

Audio description was invented by Dr Margaret Phanstiehl and her husband Cody in 1981.  In 1990, the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences awarded Margaret an Emmy for her "leadership and persistence in the development of television for the visually impaired."  Over the years, the Phanstiehls have personally trained hundreds of audio describers around the world.  Since then, many of those trained describers have gone on to train other audio describers.

Audio Description Organizations

Today, many large cities have organizations with trained audio describers who offer their services for free or fee to local theatre groups and others.  Most of the organizations are setup as non-profits.  There are also professional audio description organizations (such as WBGH Media Group) who do description primarily for movies.  You can find both types of organizations listed on our Organizations and Services web page.

How Do I Become an Audio Describer?

First, you need to find out if there is a local organization which trains and uses audio describers.  Consult our Organizations and Services web page.  If they offer training, you will probably have to "pass" an audition.  They will want to know what your reading voice sounds like.  Do you have a strong accent?  Do you enunciate well?  Do you stumble or stutter?  How good is your command of English (or your local language) and your vocabulary?  Remember:  an audio describer should never be distracting from the performance being described, so the organization will be looking for people with pleasant voices and good command of the language. 

And by the way, the fundamental rule of audio description is, "Say what you see."  This is not a job where your ad-libs or your interpretation of what you see is appropriate!

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Please see the links at the top of this page for additional reference material on audio description!

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