For 26 years, Arts Access, a nonprofit organization
based in Raleigh, NC, has been making the arts accessible to people
with disabilities. We advocate for arts accessibility throughout
the Triangle area of North Carolina; provide audio description for theatre
patrons who are blind or have low vision; refer arts administrators to
sign language interpreters; and provide accessibility training to arts
organizations and arts accessibility information to the public.
Web
This Site
Audio Described Performances
The following performances and movies will be audio described for people who
are blind or have low vision. There is no charge beyond regular admission
for this service.
Most organizations require a patron to request interpretation several weeks
in advance. See our Performance Schedule
for more information plus open and closed captioned movies at
Wake County movie theaters, or sign up for Sign Language
Interpretation Email Updates.
Support Arts Access by Using GoodSearch
GoodSearch is an Internet search engine powered by Yahoo.
Unlike other search engines (such as Google or AOL), GoodSearch
returns 50% of advertising dollars to charities selected by its users.
You can help support Arts Access financially at no cost to yourself
by simply using GoodSearch for your Internet searches. You can
click the logo at the left (or at the bottom of the left navigation
column) or use the search box at the top of this page anytime to make a search, but we urge you to
read about how to implement GoodSearch
first. You can make it your default search engine and help us
out everyday. Thank you!
Spotlight on Arts Access Equipment Coordinator Mike Feltman
Starting out as an audio describer for Arts Access, and spending a
couple of years on our board, Mike rapidly assumed the role of equipment
coordinator, the person who takes care of all of our equipment
associated with audio description. Mike has overseen the purchase,
repair, and problem solving for five transmitters, countless receivers
and earpieces, and equipment carrying cases, performing an invaluable
role for the organization. We call him our equipment guru.
Born and raised Chicago, Mike got his degree in Sociology but formed a career
in computer engineering and moved to Raleigh in 1993. He has been working
for Wyeth Pharmaceuticals since 2002. He volunteers his time supporting
web pages for several organizations, including the internal support pages for
Arts Access, and he likes rock 'n roll and even plays blues on a 12-string
guitar occasionally. You can read more in
Mike's detailed biography. (Read
other Arts Access biographies.)
The First Audio Described DVD of 2008 is Available, and its title
is BLIND DATING! A blind man enters the world of dating with mixed
success and lots of surprises. This movie was not released in
theaters. Order this and other DVDs
via this website.
Audio Described Films on DVD From 2007: the critically acclaimed Knocked Up,
Evan Almighty, and The Ultimate Gift (which has very
high user reviews).
Also available, the independent film release, 9/12: From Chaos to Community, "a
vibrant, moving, sometimes funny, sometimes painful portrayal of hope
and healing in the wake of disaster."
The following 2006 DVDs also have audio description tracks: Miami Vice, United 93, Munich,
and Inside Man. Note:
the presence of an AD track on the DVD is not generally specified on the
box, and the "Director's Cut" or "Unrated" versions typically do not include audio
description. You can view a synopsis and order these DVDs
via this website.
AUDIO DESCRIBED AND CAPTIONED MOVIES
AVAILABLE IN THE TRIANGLE! Three Triangle
area movie theaters are offering accessibility for patrons with vision or
hearing impairments for first-run movies such as Juno and
Vantage Point. The White Oak Cinemas 14 in Garner (919-676-3456) and Beaver
Creek Cinemas 12 in Apex (919-362-7342) are offering audio description
and closed captioning on one screen and assistive listening devices
(ALDs) on all screens. Also, the Regal Stadium 14 at North Hills
in Raleigh (919-786-4494) has installed a system for audio description
and open captioning (plus they offer ALDs). Kudos to these
three theaters, the first in the Triangle serving both blind and deaf users!
NOTE: Over 500 first-run films have been captioned!
(See our Movie Theater Accessibility page for
more information.)
Books and DVDs related to the arts and disabilities.
We have compiled a large list of books which address the intersection of
Arts and Disabilities, plus we'll point you to several DVDs with
audio description. We have books for adults, parents, teachers, and
children. Have a look now -- they make great GIFTS for the right person.
Click the cover image to the left to learn more about this particular randomly
selected book, or click the Books and DVDs hotlink above or the Books
link in the left column to see the complete list. Any
purchase you make by clicking through these links (not just books or
DVDs) supports Arts Access.
?
Why aren't more DVDs available with audio description?
Click the question to find the answer ... and see how you can help!
38 movies had audio description tracks in 2003, 48 in 2004, 58 in 2005,
63 in 2006, and 59 in 2007; but only a few made it to DVD each year. See the separate article above
about how these first-run movies are finally available in the Triangle,
but remember that almost none of the audio description tracks make it to
the DVD. You may order the few DVDs that are audio described via the
Audio Described DVDs link on this website.
We hope that you or someone you know will benefit from the free services
provided by Arts Access this year. TELL A FRIEND !
Arts Access Member Organizations
While Arts Access works with all Triangle area arts organizations
that wish to use our services, we gratefully acknowledge the additional financial
support and partnerships we have with the following organizations. (Clicking
on their logos will take you to their web sites.)
Read more about becoming a supporting Member Organization.
Site Accessibility: This website conforms to government
Section 508 and W3C WCAG Priority 1 standards for web accessibility. See our
Browser Accessibility page for ways to improve readability
of this and other web sites if you have low vision. This website displays
best at 1024x768 screen resolution using a modern browser with JavaScript enabled.
Comments, suggestions, and corrections for these web pages
are encouraged; please contact the
.
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