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Disability-Specific Resources

Audio Description Services

The NYC Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities is providing this information to help individuals and entities locate services but does not make any representation or warranty concerning the quality or accuracy of the services provided by the establishments on this list.

In order to make videos, live performances and other exhibitions accessible for Blind and Low Vision audiences is through audio description. Audio description is either a pre-recorded or live verbal description of what is visually occurring within a video or live performance.

This page provides a list of professionals and organizations that provide Audio Description services for live events, museum tours, recorded videos and virtual events.

Individual Professionals:

Below is a list of individuals who are trained or have experience audio describing videos, virtual events, performances and live events. Please note that for live in-person events, you will still need to have Infrared or FM transmitters or Assisted Listening Devices to broadcast their descriptions to event attendees. Some of the services listed under the organizations section might have rental equipment or can point you in the right direction. One organization that rents out Assisted Listening Devices is Sound Associates.


Organizations:

Bridge Multimedia:

Provides Audio Description for recorded videos only

Bridge Multimedia, a New York City-based accessibility enterprise, works with commercial, education, entertainment, government and corporate sectors to make the 21st century media (and social) landscape equally available to all people. Transcoding to all online and social platforms.

Phone: (212) 213-3740
Email: info@bridgemultimedia.com

Bridge Multimedia Website


Sound Associates:

Rents devices for Audio Describing live events

The Sound Associates’ line of assistive listening products has become synonymous with Broadway since its introduction in 1979. Whether outfitting a theater, classroom, courtroom or house of worship, the variety of low-voltage emitters make it practical and easy to retrofit into any facility and offer state-of-the-art assistance for people with hearing disabilities, vision disabilities and non-English speakers.

Phone: 212-757-5679
Email: info@soundassociates.com

Sound Associates Website


Access-USA:

Provides Audio Description for Recorded videos

Access-USA produces audio described videos that allow people with a vision disability to enjoy video presentations of all kinds, from educational to entertainment.

Phone: 800-263-2750
Email: info@access-usa.com

Access-USA Website


International Digital Services (IDC):

IDC offers Audio Description (also known as "video description" or "described video") which is a full production service that enhances content for blind and low vision audiences. Their intent is to verbalize visual content into custom made, narrated dialogue tracks that are scripted, performed, and mixed right into the program audio to further enhance the user’s listening experience.

Phone: 212-581-3940 ext. 306
Email: Eric.w@idcdigital.com

International Digital Services Website


Audio Description Solutions:

Provide Audio Description for recorded videos

Audio Description Solutions (ADS) provides audio description services for a wide variety of cultural organizations including: museums, aquariums, zoos, National Park visitor centers, historic sites, and live performance venues as well as for movies, TV shows, and educational films. Note: they are not based in New York, therefore live performances will cost extra for travel expenses.

Phone: 626-818-0439
Email: deborahlewis@audiodescriptionsolutions.com

Audio Descriptions Solutions Website


Captionmax:

Provide Audio Description for recorded videos

Known for captions but also provides audio description services. Captionmax is one of North America's largest full-service media accessibility companies. They provide closed captioning for prerecorded media and real-time events, subtitling and localization services, description, and specialized scripts. Their clients range from the biggest names in media and entertainment, to large corporations, to education institutions and government entities. All Captionmax clients, big or small, have access to dedicated account management and customizable solutions for their workflow. Whether it's closed captioning the latest hit TV show, or translating a web video into a dozen languages, Captionmax works to make all media accessible to all people. They are Simply Accessible.

Phone: 612-341-3566
Email: services@captionmax.com

Captionmax Website


3Play Media:

Provide Audio Description for Recorded videos

They provide premium closed captioning, transcription, audio description, and subtitling solutions at very competitive prices. The audio description provided by this service does not use real human voices. Instead the description is read by synthetic voice.

3Play Media Website