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Re: FW: transcription of audio

for

From: Jonathan Avila
Date: Nov 5, 2018 11:24AM

> > During the 508 refresh process we submitted comments pursuant to rule making suggesting that a 508 accessible transcript was as good as if not better than audio description in some instances.
> I have made numerous repeated recommendations for at least the last 12 years that this be considered and addressed...

Let me understand this -- when a blind person sits down to watch a movie with their friends, family, or children they have to pull out a device to read the transcript with a textual description of what is going on visually rather than have audio description of what is happening announced? While I can understand that a transcript may be more useful in something that is self-paced like a video on how to put together furniture or use a software application - audio description in entertainment, education, etc. is a right that people who are blind have worked hard to defend. I'm not saying requiring transcripts are not important or shouldn't be at level AA -- but saying that something is difficult as the reason not to require it has significant implications when there is no other experience that is equivalent for the people who are blind and can hear. A lot of things are hard -- but if people were actively working to solve these issues it would make it easier for everyone. Text ba
sed audio description that is announced by text-to-speech and part of extended audio description is just as easy as captions to create -- you just need a player that supports it.

Jonathan

Jonathan