[Nfbf-l] Fwd: Audio Description at Walt Disney World

[REPCODDS at aol.com]

If Disney can do this for their  Theme Parks , why can't the Library of 
Congress do it for their Library? Then  you could tour the library by yourself  
rather than having to wait for a  group tour on their schedule.
Dwight
 
 
Hi  there Dwight.  I hope you're doing well!  I wanted to forward  our
official press release about Audio Description so you might share  it
with your friends and colleagues!  

Thanks!

Mark  Jones, CT
Operations Manager, Walt Disney World Resort
Services for  Guests with Disabilities
Worldwide Safety & Accessibility
Walt  Disney Parks &  Resorts

************************************************************

First-of-a-Kind,  Handheld Device Brings Magic of Disney Theme Parks to
Guests with  Disabilities

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla., April 16, 2009 -  Disney  engineers have taken
recent advances in wireless technology one step  further, creating a
first-of-a-kind, handheld assistive device to bring  the magic of Disney
theme parks to guests with visual and hearing  disabilities.

Disney's Handheld Device combines multiple functions -  assistive
listening, handheld captioning, and closed captioning  activation - into
one small, easy-to-use platform. The assistive  listening system provides
amplified audio, while handheld captioning  enables guests to read
captions while enjoying specific theme park  attractions. Closed
captioning is also activated by the handheld device  in pre-show areas
where TV displays narrate the upcoming experience.  

The device also provides audio description for guests who are blind  or
with low vision. This service provides narrated information about  key
visual elements in attractions such as actions, settings and  scene
changes and works seamlessly with the existing show audio. From  the
moment a guest steps into an attraction, they are given rich detail  of
their surroundings and become immediately involved in the experience.  

"We have a longstanding commitment to providing outstanding services  for
guests with disabilities," said Greg Hale, chief safety officer and  vice
president of Worldwide Safety and Accessibility for Walt Disney  Parks &
Resorts. "We had been looking many years for a way to deliver  content in
narrative attractions where fixed captioning systems weren't  an option.
With this device, we found a solution for building multiple  functions
into a single lightweight, durable device that is simple to use  and easy
to maintain."

The innovative handheld assistive device  was designed to fit in a
guest's palm, weighing a mere 7.2 ounces. The  Disney-patented*
technology delivers location-based and synchronized  information as
guests move through an attraction. The device can also  serve a wide
variety of retail, commercial and industrial applications.  

"We are now making this technology available outside of our  Disney
Parks," said Hale.  "Museums, movie theaters, stage shows,  tours - it
extends accessibility where it was previously impractical."  Softeq
Development Corporation handled product development and is  licensed to
make this technology available beyond Disney Parks.  

The device is offered at no additional cost at Walt Disney World  Resort
and Disneyland Resort theme parks. For further information  about
services for guests with disabilities, guests should visit the  Walt
Disney World Web site at disneyworld.com  <http://www.disneyworld.com/>
or contact Walt Disney World  Information at 407-824-4321 (voice) or
407-827-5141 (TTY).  

###

*U.S. Patents 6,785,539 and 7,224,967 may  apply.

Media Contact: Zoraya Suarez, Walt Disney World Manager of  Media
Relations,  407-828-3814.





 
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