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==History== {{missing information|History in regards to theatrical use|date=April 2019}} The transition to "[[talkies]]" in the late 1920s resulted in a push to make the cinema accessible to the [[visually impaired]]. ''[[The New York Times]]'' documented the "first talking picture ever shown especially for the blind"—a 1929 screening of [[Bulldog Drummond (1929 film)|''Bulldog Drummond'']] attended by members of the [[New York Association for the Blind]] and New York League for the Hard of Hearing, which offered a live description for the visually-impaired portion of the audience.<ref name=":0" /> In the 1940s and 1950s, [[Radio Nacional de España]] aired live audio simulcasts of films from cinemas with descriptions, framing these as a form of [[radio drama]] before [[Televisión Española|television services]] launched in the country.<ref name=":0" /> In the 1980s, the Media Access Group of U.S. [[Public broadcasting|public television]] station [[WGBH-TV]] (which had already gained notability for their involvement in developing [[closed captioning]])<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/12/28/arts/closed-captioning-for-boston-news.html|title=Closed-Captioning for Boston News|agency=Associated Press|date=1985-12-28|work=The New York Times|access-date=2019-04-22|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> developed an implementation of audio description for television programming via [[second audio program]] (SAP), which it branded as "Descriptive Video Service" (DVS). It was developed in consultation with Dr. Margaret Pfanstiehl of [[Washington, D.C.]], who had performed descriptions at theatrical performances and had run a [[radio reading service]] known as the Washington Ear. After four years of development and on-air trials (which included a proof of concept that aired the descriptions on a [[radio station]] in simulcast with the television airing), WGBH officially launched audio description via 32 participating [[PBS]] member stations, beginning with the new season of ''[[American Playhouse]]'' on January 24, 1990.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1989-12-29-8903210625-story.html|title=Words worth 1,000 pictures|last=Gibson|first=Gwen |website=Chicago Tribune|access-date=2019-04-22}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/01/13/arts/new-tv-system-offers-descriptions-for-blind.html|title=New TV System Offers Descriptions for Blind|last=Molotsky|first=Irvin|date=1988-01-13|work=The New York Times|access-date=2019-04-22|issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9EOEDwAAQBAJ&q=%22Dr.+Margaret+Pfanstiehl%22&pg=PT132|title=Disability and Digital Television Cultures: Representation, Access, and Reception|last=Ellis|first=Katie|date=2019-02-01|publisher=Routledge|isbn=9781317627845|language=en}}</ref> In the 1990s at cinemas in California, [[Retinitis Pigmentosa International|RP International]] began to offer audio descriptions for theatrical films under the brand ''TheatreVision'', relayed via [[earpiece]]s to those who request it. A clip from ''[[Schindler's List]]'' was used to pitch the concept to the film's producers [[Gerald Molen]] and [[Branko Lustig]], and one of the first films to be presented in this format was ''[[Forrest Gump]]'' (1994). TheatreVision sought notable personalities and celebrities to volunteer in providing these narrations, such as sportscaster [[Vin Scully]], [[William Shatner]], [[Monty Hall]], and former U.S. president [[George H. W. Bush]] (for ''[[It's a Wonderful Life]]''). Sometimes the narrator had ties to the film or was part of its cast; [[Irene Bedard]] described ''[[Pocahontas (1995 film)|Pocahontas]]''—a film where she had voiced the title character. For the 1994 remake of ''[[Little Women (1994 film)|Little Women]]'', stars from previous versions of the film volunteered, including [[June Allyson]], [[Margaret O'Brien]], and [[Janet Leigh]] (whose grandmother was blind) from the [[Little Women (1949 film)|1949 version]] of the film, as well as [[Katharine Hepburn]]—star of the [[Little Women (1933 film)|1933 version]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1996-04-21-9604210015-story.html|title=NEW VISION|last=Bandler |first=Michael J.|website=Chicago Tribune|access-date=2019-04-22}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2003-01-09-0301090222-story.html|title=Stars lend voices to assist blind viewers|last=Scott|first=Tracy L.|website=Chicago Tribune|language=en-US|access-date=2019-04-22}}</ref> Other companies emerged in providing descriptions for programming in the U.S., including the [[National Captioning Institute]], Narrative Television Network, and others.<ref name=":1" /> In the UK Audio Description services were made available on the BBC and ITV after a collaborative project with industry partners. In 2000, the [[BBC]] voluntarily committed to providing descriptions for at least 20% of its programming annually. In practice, the BBC has often exceeded these targets. In 2009, [[BBC iPlayer]] became the first streaming video on-demand service in the world to support AD where every programme that was broadcast with AD also had AD on BBC iPlayer.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.radiotimes.com/news/on-demand/2018-08-28/the-strange-story-of-how-deaf-and-blind-viewers-were-left-behind-by-the-on-demand-revolution/|title=The strange story of how deaf and blind viewers were left behind by the on-demand revolution|website=Radio Times|language=en|access-date=2019-04-22}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rnib.org.uk/audio-description-on-bbc|title=Audio description on BBC|date=2018-08-28|publisher=RNIB|access-date=2019-04-22}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/tech/where-is-tv-audio-description-heading-in-2019/5136378.article|title=Where is TV audio description heading in 2019?|date=2019-01-31|website=Broadcast|language=en|access-date=2019-04-22}}</ref><ref name="iplayer09">{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/bbcinternet/2009/08/bbc_iplayer_audio_description.html|title=BBC iPlayer audio description is now available|work=BBC Internet Blog|publisher=[[BBC]]|date=August 27, 2009|access-date=September 7, 2009}}</ref> On January 29, 2009, [[AMI-tv|The Accessible Channel]] was launched in Canada, which broadcasts "open" audio descriptions on all programming via the primary audio track.<ref name="brdmag-tac">[http://www.broadcastermagazine.com/issues/ISArticle.asp?id=92934&issue=12012008 Accessible Channel Launches with "Open Format']; Broadcaster Magazine; 2008-12-01</ref><ref name="CRTC 2010-821">{{cite web|title=Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2010-821|date=5 November 2010|url=http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2010/2010-821.htm|publisher=Canadian Radio-television and Communications Commission|access-date=9 June 2013}}</ref> Audio description has also been extended to live events, including sporting events, the ceremonies of the [[Olympic Games|Olympic]] and [[Paralympic Games]], and the [[wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton|royal wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton]], among others.<ref name=jays-amitv>{{cite web|title=Three Blue Jays games to feature described video|url=http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20120828&content_id=37476848&vkey=news_tor&c_id=tor|work=bluejays.com|publisher=MLB Advanced Media|access-date=8 June 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131022022119/http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20120828&content_id=37476848&vkey=news_tor&c_id=tor|archive-date=2013-10-22|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2012/07/london-olympics-tv-coverage-nbc-bbc-preview-307664/|title=London Olympics Preview: Coverage Is "Hybrid Of Innovation And Tradition", But Will It Do The Job?|last=Tartaglione|first=Nancy|date=2012-07-26|website=Deadline|access-date=2019-04-22}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2015/12/the-wiz-live-countrys-first-live-entertainment-show-accessible-visually-disabled-people-1201648304/|title='The Wiz Live!' First Live Entertainment Show Accessible To Visually Disabled People|last1=de Moraes|first1=Lisa |date=2015-12-02|website=Deadline|access-date=2019-04-22}}</ref> In April 2015, the subscription streaming service [[Netflix]] announced that it had added support for audio description, beginning with ''[[Daredevil (TV series)|Daredevil]]''—a series based on a [[Daredevil (Marvel Comics character)|comic book character]] who himself is blind, and would add descriptions to current and past original series on the platform over time.<ref name=wp-blindsuperhero>{{cite news|title=Netflix makes a blind superhero accessible to blind audiences|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/act-four/wp/2015/04/14/netflix-makes-a-blind-superhero-accessible-to-blind-viewers/|newspaper=Washington Post|access-date=9 January 2016}}</ref><ref name=variety-descriptions>{{cite web|title=Netflix Adding Audio Description Tracks for Visually Impaired, Starting with 'Marvel's Daredevil'|url=https://variety.com/2015/digital/news/netflix-adding-audio-description-tracks-for-visually-impaired-starting-with-marvels-daredevil-1201472372/|website=Variety|date=14 April 2015|access-date=9 January 2016}}</ref> The following year, as part of a settlement with the [[American Council of the Blind]], Netflix agreed to provide descriptions for its original series within 30 days of their premiere, and add [[screen reader]] support and the ability to browse content by availability of descriptions.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://variety.com/2016/digital/news/netflix-audio-descriptions-blind-settlement-1201753569/|title=Netflix to Expand Audio Descriptions for Blind Subscribers|last=Spangler|first=Todd|date=2016-04-14|website=Variety|access-date=2019-04-26}}</ref> On June 17, 2016, [[Pornhub]] announced that it would launch a collection of [[pornographic video]]s with audio descriptions. The initiative is sponsored by the website's philanthropic arm Pornhub Cares.<ref name="vice-pornhubdvs">{{cite web|title=Pornhub Is Making Audio Porn for the Visually Impaired|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/pornhub-described-video-visually-impaired-vgtrn/|website=Vice|access-date=March 29, 2022}}</ref> In the late-2010s, [[Procter & Gamble]] began to add descriptions to some of its [[television commercial]]s, first in the United Kingdom, and later Spain and the United States.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thedrum.com/news/2020/01/17/the-voice-blind-people-hasnt-been-heard-inside-the-fight-audio-described-ads|title='The voice of blind people hasn't been heard': inside the fight for audio-described ads|website=The Drum|language=en|access-date=2020-02-02}}</ref>
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