[Ct-nfb] FW: AD Tours at the White House

Tue Jun 20 18:51:49 UTC 2017

From: Andrea Giudice [mailto:dawgmawm at gmail.com] 
Sent: Tuesday, June 20, 2017 8:18 AM
To: Andrea Giudice <dawgmawm at gmail.com>
Subject: FW: AD Tours at the White House

I am forwarding this because I was unaware there have been audio tours
available at the white house and I am wondering if I am not alone.

Andrea

-----begin forwarded message-------

from Joel Snyder

NOTE: I wrote the AD tour of The White House on behalf of ACB's Audio
Description Project and it was originally voiced by the legendary (and
totally blind) radio personality, Ed Walker. When the White House, late in
Obama's second tour, added a room to the tour, Ed had already passed away so
I re-voiced the tour. It's my hope that the tour can be put back in place
soon! J.S.

The Trump Administration Is Behind On White House Tours For Blind Visitors
The audio description tours for blind and low vision people are not up and
running yet but the administration says they're working on it. There is also
some drama over a recorded introduction of Melania Trump to replace the one
by Michelle Obama.

Posted on June 16, 2017, at 1:11 p.m.
Adrian Carrasquillo
BuzzFeed News Reporter
Reporting From
Washington, D.C.

In the early days of Obama's second term, the White House announced that
audio description tours would be made available for blind and low vision
visitors after a decades-long push by advocacy organizations. But concerned
groups now say the Trump administration is not offering the same service to
blind Americans and say they don't know who to get in touch with at the
White House.

There is also another issue - the previous audio description included an
introduction by former first lady Michelle Obama, and, presumably first lady
Melania Trump would record a new introduction.

But a Trump administration source and sources close to the administration
said the new introduction was recorded, and later scrapped because the White
House did not like how Melania Trump sounded in it.

A White House official told BuzzFeed News that they are working on getting
the audio description tours up and running but blind or visually impaired
citizens can still receive a human-led tour by someone experienced in giving
these kinds of tours.

Regarding the introduction by the first lady, the official said they're
working on that, too. Asked whether it was already recorded and if there
were perceived problems with Melania Trump's version of the introduction,
the official did not dispute that account but reiterated that it is "in
process - all I can say to you is that anyone who is visually impaired will
be given a human-led tour."

A second White House official responded after publication and said the first
lady never recorded an introduction.

Audio description, whether done at museums or at the White House is a
professional activity, where the focus is not just on the history of the
room but on describing the objects in the room and what the room looks like
- making the visual verbal, experts say.

In 2010, the White House worked with groups like the American Council for
the Blind to pass the 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility
Act, which for the first time created a legal requirement that broadcasters
include a minimal number of hours of audio descriptions. In addition, White
house ceremonies were audio described and stakeholder groups felt there was
a real attention to visitors.

But now some of the same organizations that worked closely with the Obama
White House say they are having trouble getting someone on the phone in the
Trump administration. One source asked BuzzFeed News who they should reach
out to.

The director of the White House visitor's office, Daniel Fisher, which
manages the tours, did not respond to a BuzzFeed News request for comment.

But Eric Bridges, the executive director of the American Council of the
Blind, stressed that the Trump administration shouldn't be overly criticized
regarding the audio descriptions, and instead put the onus on his own
organization.

"We have not formally reached out to them," he said, noting that
organizations like his are constrained by capacity, staffing and resources.

Still, he too would love to hear from the Trump administration.

"We would welcome the opportunity to sit down with them," he said.

JOEL SNYDER, Ph.D.
Author of The Visual Made Verbal: A Comprehensive Training Manual and
Guide to the History and Applications of Audio Description -
get your copy at thevisualmadeverbal.net
President, Audio Description Associates, LLC
"The Visual Made Verbal" (tm)
[ADA logo (5))'ggmentm) ADA logo-an eye within an ear
6502 Westmoreland Avenue, Takoma Park, MD 20912
jsnyder at audiodescribe.com
<mailto:jsnyder at audiodescribe.com%3cmailto:jsnyder at audiodescribe.com>
<mailto:jsnyder at audiodescribe.com>
Tel: 301 920-0218; Fax: 208 445-0079

For more information about audio description, please visit:
www.audiodescribe.com
<http://www.audiodescribe.com%3chttp:/www.audiodescribe.com/>
<http://www.audiodescribe.com/>

Director, Audio Description Project
American Council of the Blind
jsnyder at acb.org <mailto:jsnyder at acb.org%3cmailto:jsnyder at acb.org>
<mailto:jsnyder at acb.org> - 202 467-5083
www.acb.org/adp <http://www.acb.org/adp%3chttp:/www.acb.org/adp>
<http://www.acb.org/adp>

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