Tonight, NBC’s The Wiz Live! airs and it’s definitely going to be an event. But it will also be available for everyone. NBC and Comcast have teamed up to provide live video description for the visually impaired. It’s the first time the technology has been used for a live event of this size. Carl Augusto, CEO of the American Foundation for the Blind says that:
Earlier this year, I attended a theater production of The Wiz and without description, found it very difficult to follow the characters and action of the play. This nationally described television broadcast will not only be a godsend to people with vision loss, but also to those who describe action to people with vision loss, and the general public, who will learn about the importance of audio description.
Video description is a narrative track that describes sets, costumes, and action on screen. It’s available to viewers wherever SAP audio feeds are available.