Back when my kids were younger, we took them to Disney twice. I was so disappointed in their lack of captions for their movies and TV displays. We haven't been back at Disney for years, but I recently received this announcement forwarded from Dana Craig who works at the LIFE CIL in Pontiac, Illinois:
AUDIO DESCRIPTION NOW AVAILABLE AT DISNEY!
Disney engineers have taken recent advances in wireless technology one step
further, creating a first-of-a-kind, handheld assistive device to bring the
magic of Disney theme parks to guests with visual and hearing disabilities.
Disney’s Handheld Device combines multiple functions – assistive
listening, handheld captioning, and closed captioning activation – into
one small, easy-to-use platform. The assistive listening system provides
amplified audio, while handheld captioning enables guests to read captions while
enjoying specific theme park attractions. Closed captioning is also activated by
the handheld device in pre-show areas where TV displays narrate the upcoming
experience.
The device also provides audio description for guests who are blind or with
low vision. This service provides narrated information about key visual elements
in attractions such as actions, settings and scene changes and works seamlessly
with the existing show audio.
The device is offered at no additional cost at Walt Disney World Resort and
Disneyland Resort theme parks. For more information, visit the Walt Disney World
Web site at
www.Disneyworld.com <http://www.disneyworld.com/> or contact Walt Disney World Information at (407)
824-4321 (voice) or (407) 827-5141 (TTY).
The handheld captioning I'm not crazy about, but I like the idea of being able to activate the closed-captioning feature when in the area of TVs. In the case of watching shows like "It's a Bug's Life," the open captions on the screen are always the best way to go. I can't imagine peering down into a hand-held device while trying to watch a screen.
I wonder if my teenagers would want to see Mickey Mouse again?
