public accommodations (ADA Title III)
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.
Do restaurants have to provide Braille menus?
No. It might be an undue administrative or financial burden for a restaurant to print a new Braille menu every time they change an item or price.
However, it is not appropriate for a request for a Braille menu to be answered with simply “we don’t have any.” Restaurant staff should be trained on how to properly provide the information from the menu to guests so they can make their choices from the full menu.