Netflix Makes Daredevil Accessible to the Blind

[NoShoes]

Netflix Makes Daredevil Accessible to the Blind

Now even Daredevil can enjoy Daredevil!

When Marvel's Daredevil premiered on Netflix earlier this month, it did so with one serious chunk of accessibility missing: audio descriptions. These descriptions, which provide narrative explanation of action depicted onscreen, would ensure that blind or visually-impaired persons had the same opportunities to binge on Daredevil as those without visual disabilities. The obvious irony here is that with the audio descriptions missing from the show, even Matt Murdock himself couldn't enjoy his own exploits.

Netflix received negative feedback on the missing audio descriptions for less than a week before taking action. Yesterday, Netflix released a blog post [http://blog.netflix.com/2015/04/netflix-begins-audio-description-for.html] stating that audio descriptions had been added to Daredevil, and that they have plans for a larger roll-out of the functionality to other titles.

"In coming weeks, we'll add more titles, including current and previous seasons of the Golden Globe and Emmy award-winning political thriller House of Cards, Emmy award-winning comedy-drama series Orange is the New Black, as well as Tina Fey's Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and the epic adventure series Marco Polo.

Netflix is actively committed to increasing the number of audio-visual translations for movies and shows in our English-language catalogues. We are also exploring adding audio description into other languages in the future."

Though it was a huge missed opportunity to not launch Daredevil with audio descriptions, Netflix has stepped up to promptly resolve this ironic issue. I like to think Matt Murdock would approve.

Source: Netflix Blog US & Canada [http://www.polygon.com/2015/4/15/8420235/daredevil-netflix-accessible-to-blind]

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[Silentpony_v1legacy]

What the hell is an 'audio description'?! What, you mean words? How does that help the blind?
Or is it a narrator, who after Daredevil says "Stop right there!" comes in and says "Daredevil just said 'Stop right there!'"

I'm sorry, but I'm not convinced every medium can be translated to people who can't sense that medium.

 

[Scarim Coral]

What the hell is an 'audio description'?! What, you mean words? How does that help the blind?
Or is it a narrator, who after Daredevil says "Stop right there!" comes in and says "Daredevil just said 'Stop right there!'"

I'm sorry, but I'm not convinced every medium can be translated to people who can't sense that medium.

Audio discription is basically like audio book but they don't interfere with the dialogue part of the show.

Eg. Daredevel "Stop run there". The he chase the thief (what happened on screen).
Audio narrator "Daredevil proceed to chase the thief in the heavy rain as he climb up the soaking ladder".

OT- Good for them seeing how was the blind community give them their blessing when Stand Lee was going to create a blind superhero but he was nevous as he didn't wanted to offend them.

 

[Armadox]

What the hell is an 'audio description'?! What, you mean words? How does that help the blind?
Or is it a narrator, who after Daredevil says "Stop right there!" comes in and says "Daredevil just said 'Stop right there!'"

I'm sorry, but I'm not convinced every medium can be translated to people who can't sense that medium.

I'd like you to look up "radio dramas" especially "The Shadow". Listen to one of them.

 

[Travis Fischer]

Good on Netflix. Pretty embarrassing that they overlooked (no pun intended) this in the first place, but good on them for stepping up and including them so quickly.

 

[Vivi22]

What the hell is an 'audio description'?! What, you mean words? How does that help the blind?
Or is it a narrator, who after Daredevil says "Stop right there!" comes in and says "Daredevil just said 'Stop right there!'"

I'm sorry, but I'm not convinced every medium can be translated to people who can't sense that medium.

This post can easily be summed up with the statement, "I lack the imagination to see how it would work, therefore it probably can't be done."

Never mind that shows with described video have been around for years now.

 

[Doopliss64]

This is pretty damn cool. I don't know if this is common practice, but if it isn't I guess it's awesome that a show about a blind superhero might be making an actual difference in the way TV shows deal with accessibility.

Plus, if it's well done it might even be cool to listen to as a radio drama in its own right.

 

[NickBrahz]

What the hell is an 'audio description'?! What, you mean words? How does that help the blind?
Or is it a narrator, who after Daredevil says "Stop right there!" comes in and says "Daredevil just said 'Stop right there!'"

I'm sorry, but I'm not convinced every medium can be translated to people who can't sense that medium.

How can this be so confusing to you, its a description using audio, have you ever heard of a radio? thats how they used to tell stories before TV's, books work the same way except its written not audio.

 

[SonOfVoorhees]

I think Matt Murdock can watch tv. He isnt exactly blind in the normal sense. He is like that guy in Star Trek Next Generation, he has a disability (blind) yet sees better than normal people. lol. Joking aside, this is really great for the blind fans. Daredevil the series has been great, very enjoyable and cant wait for series 2. Actually it made me excited for the other Marvel tv shows. Also the guy that played Wilson was amazing, was such a great villain with lots of depth and character.

 

[DrOswald]

Good on Netflix. Pretty embarrassing that they overlooked (no pun intended) this in the first place, but good on them for stepping up and including them so quickly.

Especially since getting them ready in less than a week means they probably started on them as soon as they heard the first complaint, and they probably paid through the nose to make it happen so quickly. I can understand people failing to take into account the disabilities of others, no one is perfect. What matters to me is what people do with those failures, and Netflix stepped up. Good on them.

 

[WolfThomas]

I think Matt Murdock can watch tv. He isnt exactly blind in the normal sense. He is like that guy in Star Trek Next Generation, he has a disability (blind) yet sees better than normal people. lol. Joking aside, this is really great for the blind fans. Daredevil the series has been great, very enjoyable and cant wait for series 2. Actually it made me excited for the other Marvel tv shows. Also the guy that played Wilson was amazing, was such a great villain with lots of depth and character.

Daredevil's power have waxed and waned over the years, but he can't watch tv. Flat surfaces with writing or pictures appear blank to him. You're right he's not classically blind. He can see 360degrees with his "radar sense". He can also perform feats like feeling the ink on paper to read.

 

[DudeistBelieve]

Um... but how does a blind person even, ya know, even navigate the Netflix menu?

 

[RoBi3.0]

Um... but how does a blind person even, ya know, even navigate the Netflix menu?

With the help of a friend or family member who is not blind. They are blind not lepers, forever cursed to live alone.

Also computers have accessibility programs that help blind people use them. I assume through the use of a Braille keyboard and text to speech software.
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Good for Netflix. I like a good audio drama I met check this out myself after I watch it for the first time.

 

[saphirekosmos]

This is pretty great. That said how common is it for shows to have this option? I've never heard of it tbh.

 

[Kingjackl]

This is one of those things that wouldn't have happened if it wasn't for the newsworthiness. Which i guess is kind of sad; series like this had been going without assistance for the blind for years, but it took the show ABOUT a blind man to make people realize it.

 

[Kenjitsuka]

"Though it was a huge missed opportunity to not launch Daredevil with audio descriptions, Netflix has stepped up to promptly resolve this ironic issue. "

It was no doubt calculated to generate *this* extra publicity after the series had launched.
If they had included it before it would have just been one extra scentence in all the buzz articles, and now it's a whole shitload of new articles...

 

[subskipper]

Um... but how does a blind person even, ya know, even navigate the Netflix menu?

A screen reader most probably. I have worked with a software developer that was blind. I listened to his screen reader a few times and I was utterly amazed at how he could understand anything it read to him considering the ludicrous speed it was reading at. To me it was just a blur of words. To him it was a vital tool to get work done, and he did. I was really impressed.

 

[tzimize]

"Though it was a huge missed opportunity to not launch Daredevil with audio descriptions, Netflix has stepped up to promptly resolve this ironic issue. "

It was no doubt calculated to generate *this* extra publicity after the series had launched.
If they had included it before it would have just been one extra scentence in all the buzz articles, and now it's a whole shitload of new articles...

I really wish I wasnt as cynical as you, but I am. So I think you're right. Bah :\