Skip to main content
Why Are Special Film Screenings Leaving Audio Description Behind?
General announcements

Alex Howard loves the movies. But what happens when special film screenings leave out those who rely on audio description? Alex is a legally blind cinephile and relies on AD to be on an equal playing field as sighted peers. But what happens when a film has audio description yet it doesn't work properly during the theater screening, or when a title says it has AD but it doesn't—and you don't find out until you start watching?

Alex answers these questions and more in this article from the All Senses Go substack.

Meet the Hosts of the 2026 Awards Gala
Awards Gala

On Thursday, November 12, at 7:30pm ET, the ADP will broadcast the sixth Audio Description Awards Gala on ACB Media, YouTube, and Peacock. This pre-recorded awards show honors organizations and people who create and distribute outstanding AD. As always, there will be celebrity guests, happy award recipients, and the announcement of the AD People's Choice winners. 

Guiding us through all the excitement will be our hosts, Marilee Talkington and Ben Mehl. Marilee and Ben are both experienced actors and educators who are committed to making the arts more accessible. 

Ben played Dante Ferguson on Netflix’sYou and starred in Hallmark’s My Christmas Guide, bringing his lived experience with vision loss to both characters. He earned an MFA in Acting from New York University. He's taught and directed in the Graduate Acting Program at NYU and other acting schools throughout New York. Currently, he serves as Head of Movement for the Acting for Film program at New York Film Academy.

Marilee, who will be hosting the Awards Gala for the third time, is an actor, writer, creator, and disability advocate. Her career spans Broadway, film, television, motion capture, and voiceover. She originated the role of Morgan Le Fey in Aaron Sorkin’s Camelot on Broadway, and her screen credits include Apple TV+’s SEE and Extrapolations, NBC’s New Amsterdam, and the Lionsgate/Miramax film The Home. She also founded Access Acting Academy (AC3), the first professional acting studio built specifically for blind and low-vision performers.

Learn more about Marilee and Ben on the Awards Gala website, and don't miss the Awards Gala on November 12!

Take the 2026 FIFA World Cup Audio Descriptive Commentary Survey
Sports, Surveys and studies

In 2026, FIFA expanded their accessibility program by providing Audio Descriptive Commentary in English, Spanish and French for all 104 matches of the 2026 Men's World Cup. The brief survey below (estimated time to complete 5 minutes) is aimed at understanding from the community who used the ADC service during the World Cup, what areas of this service worked and what areas need further refinement and improvement. This will help inform decision making and workflows for future iterations of the service. The survey is open until August 23, 2026.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/8MTCWKC

An Answer to the Question, "Why Would a Blind Person Want To...?"
General announcements

In 2008, Stasha Boyd started producing audio description. In 2022, she founded the Audio Description Initiative (ADI). And now she's launched the ADI newsletter to share the conversation about audio description throughout and beyond her Central Florida base. In her welcome message, Stasha reports that she is often asked by venue managers why a blind person would want to attend a game, theatre performance, or concert.

Stasha's response: "It’s the same reason everyone else does. To be at the show. To feel the energy and celebrate the joy of being with friends and family. To be there, in person, in the room (or stadium, or amphitheater) where it happens."

Also in the newsletter's first issue, Stasha shares the story of what it might take to get AD to happen at a live event. There's a list of upcoming audio described events in Central Florida as well. Even if you're not in the area, ADI demonstrates how a community can work together to make live events more inclusive and accessible. In four years, ADI has provided audio description at 275 events! 

Visit the ADI website to learn more and subscribe to the newsletter. And if you have a local success story you'd like the ADP to know about, we'd love to hear from you.

2026 Audio Description Project Awards Winners Announced
ADP Awards

The 2026 ADP Award recipients have been announced! These annual awards honor the people and organizations that make outstanding contributions to the quality and availability of audio description.

This year, the award went to:

  • Media: Elisa Jansen
  • Performing Arts Organization: Radio Talking Book Service Nebraska
  • Performing Arts Special Achievement: Dominic Mota
  • Performing Arts Special Achievement: Silhouette
  • Public Sector: "We're Walking Here" PSA video
  • International: The Royal Ballet and Royal Opera House
  • Dr. Margaret Pfanstiehl Memorial Award for Audio Description Research and Development: Audio Description Training Retreats
  • The Barry Levine Memorial Award for Career Achievement in Audio Description: Todd Tolson

Enjoy the ADP Awards presentation and acceptance remarks here: https://youtu.be/pvW_1WdN9-o

The American Council of the Blind (ACB) and the Audio Description Project (ADP) commend and congratulate these extremely deserving award recipients and thank them for their hard work and dedication to audio description.

Meet the 2025-2026 BADIE Essay Contest Winners
BADIE

The Audio Description Project (ADP) and the Described and Captioned Media Program (DCMP) are proud to announce the winners of the 2025 BADIE awards. Celebrating the Benefits of Audio Description In Education, the contest invites students who are blind or have low vision to watch an audio described (AD) video and write an essay evaluating the quality and usefulness of the AD.

This year’s winners are:

Grand Prize
Drew Moorman Jr., West Virginia

Seniors (ages 16 to 21)
First Place: Drew Moorman Jr., West Virginia
"Helen Keller, Anne Sullivan"

Second Place: Bennett Lehman, Wisconsin
"Humans Cause Traffic Jams, AI Can Fix Them"

Third Place: Jurnee Rust, Wisconsin
"Curiosity Quest: Guide Dogs"

Juniors (ages 11 to 15)
First Place: Errion Garm, Ohio
"Coretta Scott"

Second Place: Laylah Gonzales, Ohio
"Go Tell It on the Mountain"

Third Place: Deisy Jimenez, Ohio
"Parker Moore"

Sophomores (ages 7 to 10)
First Place: Gage Shouse, Iowa
"Talking Jobs Tech: How Can I Work with VR and Video Games?"

Second Place: Smile Subedi, Ohio
"Curiosity Quest: Harlem Globetrotters"

Third Place: Cora Lloyd, Ohio
"A Deep Look into a Rattlesnake's Rattle"

Honorable Mention: Hunter Mulvaine, Ohio

Enjoy the BADIE presentation here: https://youtu.be/vhMe5ViD0Zs

The American Council of the Blind (ACB) and the Audio Description Project (ADP) commend and congratulate these extremely deserving award recipients and thank them for their hard work and dedication to audio description.

Register Now for the September Audio Description Institute
Audio Description Institute

Registration is now open for the Audio Description Institute (ADI), taking place virtually September 14-18, 1–5 pm (ET). The course provides training in the craft of writing audio description and is open to sighted and blind participants. The fee is $575, which includes materials; two scholarships are available (details below). To ensure a high-quality learning experience, space is limited, so secure your place today. 

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, September 14, through Friday, September 18. 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, September 8, 2026, and the Zoom links to attend the institute will be emailed later that week. Space is limited, so register using the link below.

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 learn in the ADI. Send the email to audiodescription@acb.org by August 28, 2026. Applicants will be notified of the status of their request for assistance prior to registration closing on September 8, 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 published 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.

 

 

 

 

Shape the Future of Accessible Streaming: Take the ADP Survey!
Surveys and studies
We need your voice! The Audio Description Project (ADP) is launching a comprehensive survey to capture the real-world experiences of blind and low vision (BLV) and sighted consumers using popular streaming services. The survey is open now and will close on Monday, August 31, 2026. 
 

Why This Survey Matters

While streaming entertainment has expanded massively, navigating the platforms themselves is inconsistent and often remains a challenge. This survey is designed to gather data and to help streaming service providers understand exactly where blind and low vision users face barriers within the specific service user platform interface.
 
With the data collected, we will be able to:
  • Provide detailed, platform-specific feedback to individual streaming services regarding usability and accessibility issues.
  • Develop industry best practices.
  • Positively influence the consumer experience and make these platforms easier and more intuitive for everyone.

What to Expect

The survey begins with basic demographic information, followed by identifying questions on which streaming services you use, and then specific questions on your overall user experience with each of those services.
  • Who should take the survey: anyone who watches audio described content on a streaming service. You do not have to be blind or low vision to take this survey.
  • How long will it take? If you only use a few streaming platforms, the survey will be relatively short. If you use a wide variety of services, it may take a bit longer.
  • Our Request: We strongly encourage you to provide data for every service you actively use.
 
Having a robust pool of data for each individual platform gives us the data needed to support meaningful changes.

We know surveys can feel tedious and take time out of your day, but your input directly benefits the collective BLV community.We deeply appreciate your participation and do not take your time or effort for granted.

Questions or Issues?

If you run into any technical difficulties or have questions about the survey, please feel free to reach out directly to Renee Arrington-Johnson at renee@acbohio.org.

Don't delay; the survey closes on Monday, August 31, 2026!
 
Thank you for helping the ACB Audio Description Project advocate for more accessible streaming experiences.
FIFA World Cup 2026™ To Feature Audio Descriptive Commentary
General announcements
The ACB Audio Description Project worked with FIFA and their audio description contractor to share the exciting information below about accessibility for the FIFA World Cup, both in-stadium and remote for radio and subscribed television for all matches.                                                    

FIFA World Cup 2026™ To Feature Audio Descriptive Commentary

FIFA is dedicated to making sure that all fans — including those with disabilities and their families and friends — have an excellent experience at this year’s FIFA World Cup™.

Featuring 48 teams for the first time, this year’s tournament will be more inclusive than ever — not only expanding participation among nations, but also enhancing accessibility for fans with disabilities through expanded resources designed to make the matchday experience truly memorable.

Some initiatives build on activations used successfully at the FIFA Club World Cup 2025™, such as sensory bags and audio-descriptive commentary.

Audio-descriptive commentary

Audio-descriptive commentary (ADC) will be available for all FIFA World Cup 2026 matches, as well as the opening and closing ceremonies. This service enhances the match experience for blind and low vision fans. Commentators provide narration beyond standard radio commentary, describing key visual elements of the match, such as body language, facial expressions, the on-pitch action and the movement of the ball.

For matches in Canada, commentary will be available in English and French. For matches in the United States and Mexico, commentary will be available in English and Spanish. Fans can access the ADC broadcast through the FIFA Audio Description app, available on the Google Play Storeor Apple App Store.

The app is designed primarily for in-stadium attendees specifically, but is available to anyone interested in using it for the matches. It is a free app on the Google Play or Apple App Store. The app will provide a full commentarytrack with a descriptive broadcast from beginning to end. It is not necessary to use the app in conjunction with the Fox Sports broadcast,or in lieuof any other radio broadcast. Consumers will have a couple of options: listen to the app as a stand-alone experience, or they can combine the app with the TV experience. Be aware that listening to the ADC (which will be in real time) while having the game on tv may not be synced up exactly due to TV broadcast delays.

Accessible innovations

Following a successful debut at the Club World Cup 2025, haptic devices will return for the FIFA World Cup 2026, with units deployed across stadiums in Dallas, New York New Jersey, Seattle and Vancouver for select matches.

These haptic devices enable blind and low-vision fans to feel the game as it unfolds in real time, translating live match action into tactile and audio feedback so that every goal, every tackle and every moment of play is accessible from the stands.

Tournament app accessibility

The FIFA tournament app is designed with accessibility in mind to help all fans enjoy a more inclusive matchday experience.

App accessibility features include the following:

  • Adjustable font size for easier reading
  • Customizable color contrast for improved visibility
  • Captions on videos to support Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing users

Each stadium has a dedicated section within the app, as well as onFIFA.com, where fans can learn about venue-specific accessibility services. This includes further information on mobility assistance, sensory services, accessible seating and the availability of services like closed captioning.

To read the full press release, visit https://inside.fifa.com/organisation/news/accessibility-world-cup-2026-disability-social-inclusion.

Audio Described Titles Available on PBS
General announcements
PBS fans—did you know that PBS offers audio-described content for many of its programs? Enjoy popular shows like NOVA, American Masters, Independent Lens, Masterpiece and more with AD. With thousands of audio-described episodes available, people who are blind or have low vision can fully experience many of their favorite PBS shows.
 
You can access PBS programming for free on your TV or mobile device using the PBS App, or online at PBS.org.
 
Visit the PBS website to explore audio-described content: http://to.pbs.org/audio-description

Back to ADP Archives