Registration is open Monday, February 9, through Tuesday, March 17, for the ADP’s Audio Description Institute, taking place virtually March 23–27, 1–5 pm ET. The fee is $575; two scholarships are available (details below). To ensure a high-quality learning experience, space is limited, so don’t forget to secure your place.

Click to register now!

Why Learn about Audio Description?


Audio description (AD) provides access to artistic and educational visual images through succinct and vivid descriptions of elements that are crucial to understanding the creator’s intention. Learning the best practices of AD expands audience impact and demonstrates a commitment to accessibility and inclusion.

Who Should Attend the Audio Description Institute?

Anyone interested in:

• working as a freelance description writer for film, series, advertising, gaming, etc.
• working as a describer in a performing arts program
• working as a describer for visual art images and exhibitions
• refreshing existing AD skills
• adding value to their own or employer’s equity, inclusion, and accessibility initiatives.

What Will I Learn?

• audio description history and theory
• the Four Fundamentals of Audio Description
• active seeing/visual literacy; how to develop skills in concentration and observation
• the art of editing what you see
• vivid language: The Visual Made Verbal™
• “Speak the speech, I pray you” – using the spoken word to make meaning

How Will I Learn?

Sessions will be held virtually from 1pm to 5pm ET, Monday, March 23, through Friday, March 27. Materials will be delivered through a mixture of lectures, discussions, and collaborative writing sessions. Each registrant will receive a PDF of Dr. Joel Snyder's book, The Visual Made Verbal: A Comprehensive Training Manual and Guide to the History and Applications of Audio Description. Participants also receive a certificate of completion.

Who Are the Instructors?

Led by Dr. Joel Snyder, the faculty includes blind and sighted audio description professionals (complete bios can be found below the registration information):

Joel Snyder, PhD, founder of the ADP, creator of the ADI, and audio description writer and voice talent 


Joyce Adams, audio description writer and narrator


Susan Glass, freelance writer and poet and retired English professor

Elisa Jansen, audio description writer

Tristan Snyder, chief engineer and voice talent at Imagination Storybooks

Registration and Scholarships

Registration will close on Tuesday, March 17, 2026, and the Zoom links to attend the institute will be emailed later that week. Space is limited, so register using the link below.

Audio Description Institute March 23-27 Registration.

Two full scholarships are available; priority will be given to people with disabilities. To be considered for a scholarship, please send an email outlining how and why you are a strong candidate, including your reason for requesting financial assistance and your plans for implementing what you’ve learned in the ADI. Send the email to audiodescription@acb.org by March 1, 2026. Applicants will be notified of the status of their request for assistance by March 10, 2026.

Questions?

Contact Dr. Joel Snyder: jsnyder@audiodescribe.com

More about the ADI Faculty

Joel Snyder, PhD, is one of the first audio describers; he began describing theater events and media in 1981. He is the president of Audio Description Associates, LLC with clients world-wide (access www.audiodescribe.com for more information) and the Founding Director Emeritus of ACB's Audio Description Project (https://adp.acb.org), an initiative he founded in 2009. For six years, he led a staff that produced description for feature films and nationally broadcast series, including "Sesame Street" broadcasts and DVDs. Dr. Snyder has worked with description and trained describers in more than forty states and in more than sixty countries.

Joyce Adams has been producing and writing AD scripts for media and museum tours since 2002. She supervised AD script writers for the Described Media program at the National Captioning Institute, is the author of audio described tours for National Park Service visitor centers throughout the U.S. and regularly pens description for promotional videos produced by Microsoft. Most recently, Ms. Adams wrote the audio description scripts for several episodes of FROM, named by some viewers as "the creepiest show on TV." Ms. Adams along with Joel Snyder and other experts, serves on the ACVREP committee developing a certification program for audio describers.

Susan Glass is a freelance writer and poet whose chapbook, The Wild Language of Deer, was by Slate Roof Press in January 2022. A retired English professor from San Jose State University and West Valley Community College, Ms. Glass taught English composition, American multicultural literature, creative writing, and interdisciplinary courses with a disability studies emphasis. An active member of the American Council of the Blind since 2013, she advocates passionately for audio description, especially in live venues such as theaters, museums, and parks. She loves hiking with her guide dog Omni and riding her horse, Travis.

Elisa Jansen is a graduate of the ADP Audio Description Institute. She has written audio description for networks and Internet platforms, such as NBC, CBS, Amazon, Hulu, and Netflix, as well as for the classic film Citizen Kane. Her work on promotional content includes descriptions for Walmart, Kimberly-Clark, and thousands of Microsoft videos. Ms. Jansen has provided audio description for museum tours and exhibits, including the Smithsonian, the Nevada State Museum in Las Vegas, and the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum.

Tristan Snyder has been in the video description industry for more than thirteen years, including his work as the chief engineer and voice talent for Imagination Storybooks. He has produced hundreds of hours of description for network television, and film. He is an award-winning producer of audio drama, including Ray Bradbury's "Something Wicked This Way Comes" and "The Halloween Tree." As a voiceover artist, Mr. Snyder has voiced many hours of description and performed as a character voice actor for audio dramas and animation.

The 98th Academy Awards will be held March 15. Don't know which movies to cheer for? Here's where to find the Best Picture nominees that have audio description.

Bugonia - Apple TV Store, DVD, Fandango, Peacock, Prime Video

F1 - Apple TV, Apple TV Store, DVD, Fandango, Prime Video

Frankenstein: The Anatomy Lesson - Netflix

Hamnet - Cinema, Fandango

Marty Supreme - Apple TV Store, Cinema, Fandango

One Battle After Another - Apple TV Store, Cinema, DVD, HBO Max, Plex, Prime Video

Sinners - Apple TV Store, Cinema, DVD, HBO Max, Plex, Prime Video

Train Dreams - Netflix

The Prevention of Blindness Society of Metropolitan Washington recently invited Carl Richardson, one of the ADP co-chairs, to share his knowledge. Access the recording for an overview of the history and mission of audio description. Learn where audio description is available across broadcast TV, streaming platforms, and movie theaters, and how to access and enable audio description on your devices.

Remember that amazing audio description experience you had last year? The Audio Description Project wants to hear about it! Now is your chance to nominate the best AD you’ve encountered for an ADP Award.

The ADP Awards are sponsored by the ACB’s Audio Description Project to recognize achievement in audio description in seven categories, including media, performing arts, museums, the public sector, and research and development. Nominations will be accepted through April 6, 2026, and the winners will be announced in July at the American Council of the Blind’s conference and convention. Access this form to submit your nomination.

Who Can Submit a Nomination?

Everyone! You are welcome to nominate yourself, your local theatre or museum, or a well-known institution. Complete and submit the nomination form today.

Who Is Eligible for an Award?

Any person, organization, or institution that fits in one of the categories below and is involved in the research, development, production, design, creation, and/or delivery of great audio description is eligible.

What Are the Criteria?

The most important criterion is that the person or organization consistently develops, creates, and/or makes available excellent audio description. We encourage you to address the quality of the AD and other accessibility elements in your nomination.

• The AD script – clear, concise, and vivid word choices that describe crucial visual elements without offering opinions, explanations, or interpretations
• The AD voicing – narration that enhances the experience by using a tone and energy level appropriate to the content
• The AD sound – a smooth balance of dialogue, background noise, musical soundtrack, and audio description
• Total access – how easy is it to access the audio description? Is the website and/or physical spaces accessible?
• Inclusion – to what extent are people on the blindness spectrum involved in the creation of audio description, as writers, editors, sound engineers, or testers?

What Are the Award Categories?

There are seven categories. The same individual or organization may not be nominated in multiple categories.

• Media

• Performing Arts

• Museums, Visual Art, Visitor Centers

• Public Sector (government agencies – federal, state, or local)

• International (people and organizations working primarily outside the US)

• Dr. Margaret Pfanstiehl Memorial Award for Audio Description Research and Development

• Barry Levine Memorial Award for Career Achievement in Audio Description

Submit Your Nomination!

Help us celebrate the people and organizations that are contributing significantly to the growth of high-quality audio description. Submit your nomination online by April 6, 2026. If you have questions or would like assistance, contact audiodescription@acb.org.

Here are some 2025 highlights from Fred Brack, the ADP webmaster and data wrangler. Thanks, Fred!

Looking back at 2025, I would like to review some of the major accomplishments and changes in the world of audio description as reflected on the ADP Website.

While the major change was the June switchover to our new website managed by the same company responsible for the ACB website, there were months of preparation involved and continued meetings two to three times a week discussing ongoing enhancement plans. A huge amount of time has been spent adding pointers to IMDb (the Internet Movie Database) for as many titles as we could identify, in addition to verifying and adding genres and more in our Master Title database.

Because we were unable to list weekly additions to streaming service titles originally, I began extracting and compiling this data behind the scenes for publication weekly. Later, that data was made available online. We were also able to restore “comments” about titles, including things like any fees beyond subscriptions involved in accessing them. Along the way, we had (and still have) two very experienced screen reader users testing our website, making recommendations for changes.

Four additional streaming providers were added during the year: The Roku Channel, Howdy (a subscription version of The Roku Channel), MGM+, and PBS (streaming, not TV).

Here’s how our providers ended the year. The first number is the year-end 2025 number of described titles offered. This is followed by the increase and the percentage over the year-end 2024 number.

• Apple TV: 306, +47, 18%
• Apple TV Store (iTunes): 2617, +249, 11%
• Disney+: 1280, +41, +3% (but not updated recently)
• Fandango: 922, +285, 45%
• HBOMax: 1175, +54, 5%
• Hulu: +137, 21%
• MGM+: n/a, new this year
• Netflix: +307,11%
• Paramount+: +77, 16%
• Peacock: +72, 21%
• Plex: +16, 59%
• PlutoTV: +4, 5%
• Prime Video: +597, +10%
• ReelAbilities Stream: +26, 54%
• Roku Channel: +9, 12%
• Tubi: +2, 2%
• Spectrum Access: +150, 20%

In analyzing the numbers above, the annual increase gives you some idea how individual services are growing their described content. To the extent that a service focuses on recently released titles, there is a greater likelihood that any given title will have audio description. Overall growth of titles carried will also boost the number, while removal of titles for cost-cutting measures may decrease the number. We certainly must congratulate Fandango at Home for its 45% growth, Plex for its 59% growth, and ReelAbilities Stream for its 54% growth. Fandango is especially impressive given its total described title count of nearly 1,000.

At year-end, we had 13,109 unique titles available with English audio description tracks from Cinema, DVD, Spectrum Access, and over 20 streaming services. This was an increase of 24% over year-end 2024, which was 2% more than 2024 over 2023. Clearly, the number of described titles available is increasing nicely, even though we have a long way to go.

Our Master Title database contains nearly 18,000 titles, meaning there are over 5000 additional titles that have audio description tracks only in non-English languages or they aren’t currently available anywhere in English. For those speaking non-English languages, there were 12,630 titles in 64 languages other than English available (in the USA) with audio description, the most prominent of which was LatAm Spanish at 1888 titles, closely followed by Brazilian Portuguese.

While I, personally, focus on the services listed above, my associate, Timothy Wynn, scans numerous sources of TV listings and uses his network contacts to compile a weekly database of everything that is on TV with audio description. We believe we have the most comprehensive listing of described TV content anywhere, and we have Timothy to thank for that. At the same time, I am grateful to Vicki Vogt of Perkins Library for compiling the list of movies available in Cinemas with audio description.

Please enjoy the ever-increasing number of audio described titles available as updated weekly on our website. You can also help spread the word about the ADP website, especially to newcomers to the blindness community who might not know about the exciting world of audio description.

Welcome to the Awards Gala Spotlight Series! Over the next few weeks, we’ll focus on some of the 2025 award recipients so you can learn more about the great audio description contributions our awardees are making.

Meet SOVAS

At the 2025 Audio Description Awards Gala, the ADP gave its first award for Talent Promotion to the Society of Voice Arts and Sciences (SOVAS). SOVAS trains and celebrates voice actors, but their mission is far more expansive. They strive to uplift a community, foster global inclusivity, and create meaningful connections between artists and the people their work serves.

Everything SOVAS offers, including education, mentorship, job development, and recognition through the Voice Arts Awards, is rooted in the belief that storytelling and communication have the power to improve lives. Their work took on an even deeper purpose when they learned about audio description.

SOVAS and AD

According to Rudy Gaskins, Chairman and CEO, and Joan Baker, Vice President, audio description “became our gateway into understanding the challenges faced by people who are blind or have low vision.” What began as an educational opportunity quickly grew into a calling. They realized how essential AD is and how perfectly aligned it is with the audience of passionate voice actors who want their work to have real impact.

Through audio description, SOVAS joined a community of individuals and organizations dedicated to creating a richer, more accessible life experience for people who are blind or have low vision. Gaskins and Baker note that we all share the responsibility of making the world more inclusive. “Serving this community,” they say, “is not only an honor, it also continues to deepen our commitment to building a voiceover industry that listens, learns, and lifts everyone.”

SOVAS is committed to spreading awareness of AD among voice actors as a pathway to meaningful employment, while ensuring that high-quality AD is created for the end users who depend on it. To further this mission, SOVAS developed an annual international contest for voice actors that provides four real-world, paid AD jobs in both Spanish and English. As part of their international awards show, the Voice Arts Awards®, they have implemented multiple award categories specific to a wide range of AD genres, including live theatre, film, television, museum tours, and more. This initiative is a powerful way to recognize the quality of the work and the importance of AD to the industry and end users.

Learning through Community

Interacting with blind and low-vision audiences is important to SOVAS. The community is invited to share their knowledge at the annual SOVAS career conference, and they are engaged to review and vet all materials SOVAS disseminates to blind and low-vision communities. SOVAS also offers paid speaker roles to blind and low-vision professionals in an online webinar series.

Additionally, the SOVAS International Ambassadors Committee (SIAC) brings together leaders in the field to help shape SOVAS’s approach. Dr. Joel Snyder, the founder of the ADP, serves on this committee. To get involved in the International Ambassadors, visit sovas.org/international-ambassadors/.

Learn more about SOVAS by visiting SOVAS.org, where you’ll find detailed information about programs, initiatives, events, and resources for the global voice acting community. You can also follow SOVAS on social media to stay updated and engaged:

• Facebook: SovasVoice

• Instagram: @societyvoicearts

• LinkedIn: Society of Voice Arts and Sciences

To access the Awards Gala, visit ADAwardsGala.org. And check back here soon for another Awards Gala spotlight!

On December 1, 2025, the FCC released a Public Notice (PN) reminding broadcast television stations about the audio description requirements adopted in its October 17, 2023 Report and Order. The Report and Order expanded the audio description requirements by phasing them in for an additional 10 designated market areas (DMAs) each year until all DMAs are included.

The PN reminds television broadcasters that the audio description rules will extend to DMAs 111 through 120 on January 1, 2026. Accordingly, the audio description rules will extend to the following DMAs on January 1, 2026:

• Tyler-Longview (Lufkin & Nacogdoches), Texas

• Sioux Falls (Mitchell), South Dakota

• Fargo, North Dakota

• Springfield-Holyoke, Massachusetts

• Lansing, Michigan

• Youngstown, Ohio

• Yakima-Pasco-Richland-Kennewick, Washington

• Traverse City-Cadillac, Michigan

• Eugene, Oregon

• Macon, Georgia

Link to the Public Notice:

https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-25-999A1.pdf

For general information about audio description, visit https://www.fcc.gov/audio-description.

The American Council of the Blind (ACB) and its Audio Description Project (ADP) broadcast the 5th Annual Audio Description Awards Gala on Thursday, November 13, 2025. It was a star-studded celebration honoring excellence and innovation in audio description across popular entertainment, education, gaming, live events, and more.

The Gala recognizes the creators, platforms, and innovators transforming how audiences engage with media. This year’s show was hosted by Alie B. Gorrie and Ashley J. Hicks, two advocates and performers passionate about accessible storytelling.

Awards and Special Guests

Awards were presented to:

• Visionary - Matthew Kaplowitz, President and Director of Technology and Innovation for Bridge Multimedia
• Innovation - Earcatch
• Gaming - Ubisoft
• Popular Entertainment - HBO Max
• Live Events - Descriptive Video Works
• Education - Bridge Multimedia
• Spanish Media (USA) - Described and Captioned Media Program
• International - ShazaCin
• Talent Promotion - Society of Voice Arts and Sciences (SOVAS)
• Inclusion Excellence - Social Audio Description Collective
• Writing - Liz Gutman
• Voicing - Dianne Newman
• People’s Choice Awards: Flow (film) and Dying for Sex (series)

Presenters and special guests included actors, authors, advocates, and influencers, such as: Isabella Rossellini, Mara Lauren Hutchinson, Jenna “Jennisary” of Descriptive Video Works, Paul from Matthew and Paul, Marilee Talkington, Juan Alcazar, Ben Mehl, Stephanae McCoy, Leona Godin, and Anne Mok.

Accessing the Awards Gala Recording

Access the recording on:

• ACB’s YouTube channel
• ADAwardsGala.org
• Peacock, courtesy NBCUniversal (subscription required)

The 2025 Audio Description Awards Gala exemplifies how creativity and technology can merge to make the arts more inclusive for everyone. The broadcast included open captions, open audio description, American Sign Language interpretation, and Spanish dubbing, captions, and audio description, ensuring a fully accessible experience across all audiences.

With Thanks to Our Supporters and Sponsors

ADP Supporter

Sony Corporation of America

Awards Gala Sponsors

Super Star

Comcast NBCUniversal

Take the Lead

Amazon

Netflix

Warner Bros. Discovery

Supporting Cast

Fox Corporation

Microsoft

NCTA – The Internet & Television Association

Paramount, a Skydance Corporation

Spectrum

VITAC

The Walt Disney Company

Waymo

Hosts

Alie B. Gorrie

Ashley J. Hicks

Production Credits

English Audio Description Script: Audio Description Associates, LLC, Joel Snyder, PhD

English Audio Description Narrator: Steve Saylor

Spanish Audio Description Script: Andrea Giménez, Dicapta

Spanish Audio Description Narrator: Andrea Herrera, Dicapta

Spanish Language Dubbing: Dicapta

Producer: Doug Roland

Editor: Zahari Zahariev

Screen Graphics Designer: Brian Williams

Hair and makeup for hosts’ studio shoot: Dorothy Bhadra

Contributing Partners & Friends

Audio Description Associates, LLC

Bridge Multimedia

Comcast NBCUniversal

Dicapta

VITAC

Learn more atADAwardsGala.org.

The Audio Description Project (ADP) Gaming Subcommittee has released a new draft guidance document titled “Best Practices for Audio Description in Video Games.” This is the first comprehensive resource designed to help game developers understand and implement effective audio description (AD) tailored specifically to the interactive nature of video games.

While audio description has long been used in film, television, and theatre to make visual media accessible to blind and low vision audiences, video games present unique challenges and opportunities. The draft guidance provides insights and recommendations addressing complexities such as player agency, branching narratives, and dynamic gameplay environments.

The Gaming Subcommittee invites all members of the public, particularly those familiar with gaming and accessibility, to review the draft and share their feedback. Public comments can be submitted through a Google Form.

The comment period will remain open for 90 days, closing on February 19, 2026. After this period, the committee will review all feedback and make revisions before releasing the finalized version.

To access the draft guidance, click this link.

To submit feedback on the guidance, complete this form.

The ADP is proud to include the exciting world of accessible gaming on the website. Thanks to the hard work of the new Gaming Subcommittee, you can now find a list of video games with audio description and information about accessible gaming organizations and conferences, samples, podcasts, and much more.

To learn about video games with AD, visit the Video Games page under Where to Find AD.

To access links to myriad resources that will help you get started or improve your game, visit the Video Game Resources page (under Additional Resources within the ADP Archives).

The ADP's Gaming Subcommittee

The Audio Description Project (ADP) has formed a new Gaming Subcommittee. This groundbreaking group brings together accessibility gaming advocates, blind and low vision gamers, and audio description industry experts with the shared goal of advancing audio description within the world of video games.

The ADP Gaming Subcommittee is dedicated to the following key initiatives:

• Documenting Best Practices for implementing audio description in gaming environments 
• Advocating for the inclusion of audio description in both new and existing game releases 
• Providing a resource list of games that feature audio description and live gaming events with audio described content 
• Communicating updates and developments related to gaming audio description to the blind and low vision community 
• Offering education and support to blind and low vision gamers on accessible gaming features and tools 
• Gathering and analyzing gamer data related to audio description to inform and collaborate with game developers.