How To Access AD
Audio description at a museum, park, or exhibit is not the same as a traditional recorded audio or docent-led tour. While both audio and AD tours discuss historical context and the significance of the art on display, AD tours describe the artwork itself. Additionally, many AD tours include orientation and wayfinding information to assist users as they move through the museum.
If available, audio description tour headsets can be borrowed at the ticket or information desk. Some museums also offer touch tours, which typically require a reservation in advance. It’s best to consult a museum’s website or call or email to confirm what accessibility services they provide.
What To Do When AD Isn’t Available
When a museum does not provide audio description, it’s an opportunity for advocacy. Consult the ADP directory of people and organizations that create audio description and set up a meeting with the museums’ management team and AD professionals.
How Audio Description Is Created for Museums and Parks
Museums typically hire a company that specializes in creating audio description for art. The process requires site visits, consultations with art historians and museum staff, and writing and recording a script. Ideally, people on the blindness spectrum will be involved with the process and have the opportunity to provide feedback.
Learn about the UniDescription Project, which teams National Park Service employees with sighted and blind volunteers to create descriptions of NPS brochures.