The Audio Description Project (ADP), an initiative of the American Council of the Blind (ACB), aims to bring more meaning and enjoyment to entertainment, cultural, and educational experiences for blind and visually impaired people. ADP maintains a list of described DVDs, broadcast television, movies, performing arts, museums, and national parks on the ADP website, www.acb.org/adp. As the only repository of all audio described titles on DVD and the three video streaming services (Amazon Prime Video, iTunes, and Netflix), the ADP created an index of all the titles. Here are the described video statistics as of January 1, 2020, from the ADP Master AD List:
Summary: 3640 unique described videos and TV Series. 1768 videos were duplicated in more than one service.
- 22 Current Movies; 1201 DVDs; 12 Apple TV+; 310 Disney+; 68 Hulu; 1193 iTunes; 1088 Netflix; 1652 Prime-Video; 7 Other;
- 206 TV Series: 31 ABC, 15 CBS, 2 CW, 23 FOX, 20 NBC, 25 DISCOVERY, 18 HGTV, 22 HISTORY, 18 TBS, 10 TNT, 22 USA.
The following DVDs and Blu-ray discs were released with audio description tracks last month. The links will take you to the description on the ADP website. All but one are also available on iTunes and/or Prime Video.
- Abominable
- Ad Astra
- Downton Abbey
- Overcomer
- Rambo: Last Blood
- Where's My Roy Cohn?
- Hustlers
- It Chapter Two
- Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood
- Ready or Not
- The Goldfinch
The total number of described DVDs available last year was 169, 3 more than the previous year, but the total number of DVDs being produced seems to be dropping year-to-year.
The streaming services added the following net number of described videos this past month (net = adds minus deletes): Hulu = 4; iTunes = 23; Netflix = 30; Prime Video = 268. What? 268? YES, 268! ADP is now listing which ones are “Included with Prime.” Of course Apple TV+ came onboard in November, but they only have a dozen described videos at this time, but with the promise to make every video described in nine languages in the future. And finally Disney+ also came onboard in November, blasting out the gate with around 300 described videos. The current count today is 310. Among the six streaming services, there are about 4300 choices (including those choices repeated on more than one service). Among all services (cinema, DVD, TV, and streaming), there are over 3600 unique choices.
Other news from the ADP website this month:
- Got lots of friends on Facebook? Do a Birthday Fundraiser for the ADP like audio description narrator Roy Samuelson did. Read how successfully his was on the ADP website. You can also make a personal donation through the ADP website.
- Actiview, dormant for awhile, has been acquired by Charter Communications. We don’t know the future status of the App nor Charter’s plans yet.
- There are two opportunities coming up to be trained or refreshed as an audio describer: One January 16 in Raleigh, NC, and the ADP’s training on February 22 in Alexandria, VA.
- ADP’s year-end report on the movie studios gives the highest marks to Disney and Sony for offering description on 100% of their mainstream DVDs. Summit, a subsidiary of Lionsgate, also described all five of their DVDs, while Lionsgate itself only described 14% of theirs. You can read the year-end report on http://acb.org/adp.
The number of visitors to the ADP website has increased 1000% in the last 10 years. The number of Twitter followers is approaching 1000, while Facebook followers approaches 2700. Fred Brack, ADP Webmaster and Social Media manager notifies users of new described videos on both of those social media outlets.
Follow the Audio Description Project on Facebook at facebook.com/acbadp, or on Twitter at twitter.com/ADPwebmaster.