Audio Described Movies

What is an audio described movie?

An audio described movie is a movie with a separate sound track that includes a narrator who verbal describes important visual elements of the film. The narration is interspaced between the movie’s regular dialogue, to create as little disruption to the movie’s main sound track as possible.

The audio description track allows viewers with blindness or vision loss to better follow the movie, as they would otherwise miss out on the visual details.

Until recently, only a small number of films release in theater or on DVD in North America included audio descriptions, but the numbers have been steadily increasing in recent years. This is largely due to the American Council for the Blind Audio’s Description Project, which was started in 2009.

The Seattle Public Library will be showing three movies with an audio description track. While the audio described movies are aimed specifically for people who are blind or have vision loss, everyone is welcome to join in! The films will also be shown with Closed Captions. Doors open half an hour before the movie begins.

Film Screening of Ray
[The Ray DVD you can check out from the Library does not have audio description]
Tuesday, March 13, 2012 
3-6 p.m.
Central Library, Level 4, Room 1

Film Screening of Secretariat
Monday, April 16, 2012                                                
5:45-8 p.m.
Columbia Branch, Meeting Room

 
Film Screening of The Social Network
Saturday, May 12, 2012           
2-5p.m.                                        
Central Library, Level 4, Room 1

If you are interested in The Social Network, the Low Vision Book Group will be discussing The Accidental Billionaires, the book The Social Network was based off of, at their May meeting earlier in the week.

Low Vision Book Group reads The Accidental Billionaires by Ben Mezrich
Tuesday, May 8, 2012, 12 – 1 p.m.
Central Library, Level 4, Room 5

If you have any questions about the audio described movie events or the Low Vision Book Group, including accessibility questions and requests, please contact the Library Equal Access Program at 206-615-1380 (V/TTY).

-Tim S., Central Library