Presented at 9:15am in Gov Square 11 on Friday, November 19, 2021.
#33971Speaker(s)
- Joel Snyder, PhD, President - Founder/Sr. Consultant, Audio Description Associates, LLC - Audio Description Project of the American Council of the Blind
- Petr Kucheryavyy, Sr. Manager, Accessibility Center of Excellence, Spectrum/Charter
Session Details
- Length of Session: 1-hr
- Format: Bring-your-own Device Workshop: a smartphone
- Expertise Level: All Levels
- Type of session: General Conference
Summary
This session will immerse participants in the possibilities for access to media via smartphone for people who are blind or have low vision.
Abstract
This session will immerse participants in the possibilities for access to media for people who are blind or have low vision, people who are hard-of-hearing, and those who speak alternate languages.
Charter Communications now offers “Spectrum Access”, a new smartphone app—a multi-functioning innovation for accessing film, DVDs, streaming videos and even major performing arts events.
- Audio Description: in movie theaters, at live performances, at home with a DVD or a streaming video file--the app "listens" for the original soundtrack and immediately syncs to an audio description soundtrack that's been downloaded in advance;
- Multiple languages: in much the same way as with audio description, it automatically syncs with an original soundtrack and provides the audio in a different language;
- Clarified sound: the app goes beyond simply boosting sound (as most assistive listening devices do), it can *clarify* the sound for the benefit of folks who are hard-of-hearing.
Keypoints
- Audio description provides access to media for people who are blind.
- "Spectrum Access" a new smartphone app provides access via a smartphone.
- The app can also be used for language translation, sound enhancement and sign interpretation.
Disability Areas
Vision
Topic Areas
Assistive Technology, Uncategorized, Web/Media/App Access
Speaker Bio(s)
Joel Snyder, PhD
Dr. Joel Snyder is known internationally as one of the world’s first “audio describers,” a pioneer in the field of Audio Description, a translation of visual images to vivid language for the benefit, primarily, of people who are blind or ahve a vision impairment. The visual is made verbal—and aural, and oral. Since 1981, he has introduced audio description techniques in over 40 states and 63 countries and has made hundreds of live events accesible. In 2014, the American Council of the Blind published Dr. Snyder’s book, The Visual Made Verbal – A Comprehensive Training Manual and Guide to the History and Applications of Audio Description, now available from the Library of Congress as an audio book voiced by Dr. Snyder and in Braille, in screen reader accessible formats, and in English, Polish, Russian and Portuguese (Spanish, Greek and Chinese are in development). Dr. Snyder is the President of Audio Description Associates, LLC and he serves as the Director of the Audio Description Project of the American Council of the Blind (www.acb.org/adp).