Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
Is audio description provided by museum staff or is it a profession like sign language interpreters?
Providing effective audio description is a technical skill that is being learned by professional audio describers in many cities. It began in towns where patrons with vision loss wanted to attend live theater; but now Describers are also working in museums and on guided tours. If you want to know who provides audio description in your area, contact your local ADA Center at 1-800-949-4232.
Are there audio describers for art museums?
Yes, there are. Audio description is a relatively new service that people with vision loss are finding effective. However, many museums offer audio tours, and mistakenly think that this is the same as audio description. But it’s not. Audio tours provide a handheld receiver and the patron can input a code and hear a pre-recorded message about a particular display.