{"id":10970,"date":"2010-06-28T04:53:11","date_gmt":"2010-06-28T09:53:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/?p=10970"},"modified":"2010-06-28T05:25:28","modified_gmt":"2010-06-28T10:25:28","slug":"walt-disney-world-unveils-new-outdoor-audio-description-produced-by-wgbh","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/blog\/2010\/06\/28\/walt-disney-world-unveils-new-outdoor-audio-description-produced-by-wgbh\/","title":{"rendered":"Walt Disney World Unveils New Outdoor Audio Description Produced by WGBH"},"content":{"rendered":"

Disney Unveils First-of-its-Kind Outdoor Audio Description Technology for
\nGuests with Disabilities<\/strong><\/p>\n

National Association of Professional Engineers Names Handheld Assistive
\nTechnology Device “New Product of the Year”<\/p>\n

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla., June 22, 2010 \u2013 Beginning June 27, guests with
\nvisual disabilities will be able to explore Walt Disney World theme parks in
\na whole new way through an enhanced Disney-designed device that provides
\ndetailed audio description of outdoor areas and fits in the palm of a
\nguest’s hand.<\/p>\n

“Disney Parks have long been at the forefront of providing accessibility for
\nguests with disabilities,” said Greg Hale, chief safety officer and vice
\npresident of Worldwide Safety and Accessibility for Walt Disney Parks &
\nResorts. “We are pleased to build on this legacy with new technology that
\nenables us to do something that has never been done before \u2013 provide rich
\naudio description in moving rides and outdoor environments.”<\/p>\n

Link to a demo of the outdoor environment audio description:
\n http:\/\/ncamftp.wgbh.org\/disneyareadx\/MK_AreaDX_Demo_Short.html<\/a><\/p>\n

Via an interactive audio menu, the newly enhanced Assistive Technology
\nDevice lets guests choose the type of information they would like to receive
\nabout outdoor areas, from architectural elements to the location of the
\nnearest restroom. The 7.2-ounce device, which utilizes wireless technology
\nto pinpoint its location and take pre-programmed actions also offers guests
\nat Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort:<\/p>\n

* Detailed audio description of key visual elements, including action and
\nscenery, for more than 50 attractions;
\n* Amplified audio for most theater-type attractions for guests with mild to
\nmoderate hearing loss;
\n* Handheld captioning that enables guests to read captions while enjoying
\nspecific rides; and
\n* Activation of closed captioning in pre-show areas where television
\ndisplays narrate the upcoming experience.<\/p>\n

“I know of no other public space in this country \u2013 or anywhere else for that
\nmatter \u2013 that is as welcoming and accessible to people with disabilities as
\nDisney\u2019s theme parks,” said Larry Goldberg, director of media access at WGBH
\nBoston, which is considered a pioneer in developing multimedia and new
\ntechnologies that make media accessible for the disabled. “With their
\ncaptioning systems for guests who are deaf or hard-of-hearing and now
\noutdoor environmental description for guests who are blind or visually
\nimpaired, Walt Disney World is now more inclusive than ever. WGBH is proud
\nof our role in helping make this happen.”<\/p>\n

WGBH teamed up with Disney to deliver outdoor audio description, marking the
\nlatest collaboration between the two organizations, which began with the
\ninstallation of WGBH’s Rear Window\u00ae Captioning system in Disney’s
\ntheater-based attractions in1996.<\/p>\n

Disney has patented and licensed the assistive technology, which could serve
\na wide variety of retail, commercial and industrial applications. The
\ntechnology is already being used at the World of Coca Cola Museum, The Hall
\nat Patriot Place and the Dallas Cowboys Stadium and will receive the
\nNational Society of Professional Engineers 2010 “New Product Award” next
\nmonth.<\/p>\n

“We are particularly excited to make this technology available beyond Disney
\nParks and extend accessibility where it was previously impractical,” added
\nHale. Softeq Development Corporation is licensed to make the technology
\navailable beyond Disney Parks.<\/p>\n

Other examples of Disney Parks’ services for guests with disabilities
\ninclude:<\/p>\n

* Accessible Experiences \u2013 From vehicles at Toy Story Midway Mania! that
\nenable guests to remain in their wheelchair during the ride to American Sign
\nLanguage interpretation at live shows, the focus is on providing accessible
\nexperiences.
\n* Recreation Devices \u2013 Specially designed vehicles, such as an adaptive golf
\ncart and sand and aquatic wheelchairs, enable guests to experience leisure
\nactivities throughout the resort.
\n* Guide maps for Guests with Disabilities \u2013 Theme park-specific maps provide
\nan overview of services and facilities available for guests with
\ndisabilities. Braille guidebooks are also available to assist guests during
\ntheir visit.
\n* Resort Access \u2013 Resort hotels at Walt Disney World Resort offer special
\nequipment and facilities for guests with disabilities such as phone text,
\nvisual indicator door knocks and sloped-entry pools.<\/p>\n

The Handheld Assistive Device is offered at no cost with a refundable
\ndeposit at Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort theme parks. Audio
\ndescription of outdoor areas will be available at Disneyland Resort next
\nyear. For further information about services for guests with disabilities,
\nguests should visit the Walt Disney World Web site at
\n http:\/\/www.disneyworld.com\/ <\/a>or contact Walt Disney World Information at
\n407-824-4321 (voice) or 407-827-5141 (TTY).<\/p>\n

*U.S. Patents 6,785,539 and 7,224,967 may apply.<\/p>\n

Media Contact: Zoraya Suarez, Walt Disney World Manager of Media Relations,
\n407-828-3814.<\/p>\n

WGBH Media Contact: Mary Watkins, mary_watkins@wgbh.org, 617-300-3700<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Disney Unveils First-of-its-Kind Outdoor Audio Description Technology for Guests with Disabilities National Association of Professional Engineers Names Handheld Assistive Technology Device “New Product of the Year” LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla., June 22, 2010 \u2013 Beginning June 27, guests with visual…<\/p>\n

Read more →<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_crdt_document":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[2],"tags":[5341,5347,5342,5348,5351,5339,5337,5267,5353,5343,5349,5350,5344,5340,5338,5336,2752,5346,5345,5352],"class_list":["post-10970","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-deaf-news","tag-accessible-experiences","tag-assistive-technology-device","tag-dallas-cowboys-stadium","tag-disney-parks","tag-greg-hale","tag-guests-with-disabilities","tag-handheld-assistive-device","tag-larry-goldberg","tag-mary-watkins","tag-national-society-of-professional-engineers-2010","tag-new-product-of-the-year","tag-outdoor-audio-description-technology","tag-patriot-place","tag-recreation-devices","tag-resort-access","tag-walt-disney","tag-walt-disney-world","tag-wgbh","tag-world-of-coca-cola-museum","tag-zoraya-suarez"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p752R-2QW","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":8986,"url":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/blog\/2010\/01\/19\/cowboys-stadium-kicks-off-new-assistive-service-featuring-softeqs-durateq-live-with-intelligent-access\/","url_meta":{"origin":10970,"position":0},"title":"Cowboys Stadium Kicks off New Assistive Service Featuring Softeq’s DURATEQ Live with Intelligent Access","author":"Grant Laird Jr","date":"January 19, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"Cowboys Stadium Kicks off New Assistive Service Featuring Softeq's DURATEQ Live with Intelligent Access! 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