Issue #31 • 03 November 2026

Hi Reader.

Over the past month, I took in two audio described performances at the Huntington Theatre in Boston: Purpose and To Kill a Mockingbird. Both times, I found the service tremendously helpful. Audio description (AD) is live narration of the visual elements on stage, and I came away with a new appreciation for the craft behind it. Here’s how it works.

• Check out a receiver. Before the show, you sign out a headset and receiver that can be set to audio description or to enhanced audio for patrons with hearing loss. Staff take your name and phone number in case they need to reach you.
  ​
• Meet the cast before the curtain rises. Ahead of the performance, a describer walks you through the stage layout and each character's appearance and wardrobe, all before the actors make an entrance.
  ​
• Follow the action between the lines. During the show, the describer slips in visual-only details between dialogue and other sounds. Timing and delivery have to be precise, since the narration must land in the gaps without stepping on the performers.

After the performance, I got to tour the soundproof booth where the describers work. It's equipped with a large real-time display aimed at the stage, speakers that carry every sound from the house, and microphones with volume and mute controls so describers can speak up or go silent at a moment's notice.

I also learned how much preparation goes into each production. The AD team brings in an expert in blindness and low vision to experience the show in advance, followed by a tactile tour of the stage to understand the space and the props performers handle. Multiple practice performances follow, where describers refine what to say and exactly when to say it.

These services come from Think Outside the Vox, a Boston-based nonprofit that works with disabled experts and performers to communicate shows in ways everyone can enjoy. Thanks to the Huntington and Think Outside the Vox for this work. It really makes a difference.

Have you experienced audio description at a live show, on screen, or in a museum? What worked for you?

Upcoming events

How the Blind and Low Vision Community is using AI

I'll be joining a panel at the Bay State Council of the Blind fall conference on how people in the blind and low vision community are using generative AI. The conference runs Saturday, November 21, from 9:45 AM to 4:00 PM, both in person at The Carroll Center for the Blind in Newton and online via Zoom. Registration is open now, and the full agenda will be shared closer to the date. I'd love to see you there, in the room or on screen.

Accessibility around the web

​Decorative Images… - Adrian Roselli

Is any image in your content truly decorative? Adrian takes a deliberately hard line on a category many of us lean on, then hands you two blunt screening questions (one involving a rather unflattering substitute photo) and a decision tree to put your choices to the test.

​The Top 10 Accessibility Testing Practices for Agile Sprints - Kessler West, Silktide

When a sprint runs long, accessibility checks are often the first thing to slip. Kessler gives each of ten practices a home in a specific sprint stage, role, and artifact. See which ones your team already covers and which it's quietly skipping.

​What Voice Actors Actually Need to Know About Audio Description: A Conversation with Eric Wickstrom - Hanne Rickert

Fresh off my own theater experience, this behind-the-scenes look at screen description caught my ear. Hanne sits down with Eric Wickstrom, who cast and directed the description for Netflix's Wednesday, to explore how narration style has evolved and the mistakes he hears most from voice actors. His story about one narrator's breakthrough may change how you think about the "right" voice.

Have a nifty November!

Simon Miner Pedal Point Solutions

Is your website accessible?

Need help with web accessibility consulting, testing, treatment, or training? Pedal Point Solutions can help. Start with a free accessibility snapshot of your website.

Explore Case for Vision This stand transforms my iPhone into a hands-free magnifier--helping me read, explore, and stay independent wherever I go. Learn about Case for Vision

You received this email because you either signed up for the Pedalpointer newsletter or requested a free resource. Use the links below to unsubscribe or update your email preferences.