Image and Audio Description Resources

updated 1/8/2024

Books, Articles, and Chapters

Guidelines and Toolkits

Legislation/Code/Definitions

  • Movie Captioning and Audio Description Final Rule (ADA.gov)  – “ Title III of the ADA requires public accommodations, including movie theaters, to provide effective communication through the use of auxiliary aids and services.  This rulemaking specifies requirements that movie theaters must meet to satisfy their effective communication obligations to people with hearing and vision disabilities unless compliance results in an undue burden or a fundamental alteration.”
  • FCC Guidance on Audio Description – “Audio description (referred to as video description in the Commission’s rules) is audio-narrated descriptions of a television program’s key visual elements. These descriptions are inserted into natural pauses in the program’s dialogue. Audio description makes television programming more accessible to individuals who are blind or visually impaired.” https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/audio-description
  • A guide to understanding and implementing Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2 – Understanding SC 1.2.5 – Audio Description (Prerecorded): Audio description is provided for all prerecorded video content in synchronized media. (Level AA) “The intent of this Success Criterion (SC) is to provide people who are blind or visually impaired access to the visual information in a synchronized media presentation. The audio description augments the audio portion of the presentation with the information needed when the video portion is not available. During existing pauses in dialogue, audio description provides information about actions, characters, scene changes, and on-screen text that are important and are not described or spoken in the main sound track.”

Media-Specific Guidelines and Resources

Blogs, Podcasts, and Projects