Walt Disney World has always taken strides to make its fun available to disabled guests, whether it is through special maps at guest services, sign language interpreters at live shows, wheelchair accommodations, etc. And now, visually impaired guests can take advantage of yet another service designed to help them experience Disney magic in all its glory.

Disney has unveiled “audio description,” a new service designed to provide blind vacationers with descriptions of scenes as they unfold through various attractions such as Epcot’s Spaceship Earth and Magic Kingdom’s Haunted Mansion. The service focuses on actions, settings, or scene changes within attractions and works with the existing attraction’s audio.

“We want to make our rich stories available to everyone,” said Greg Hale, vice president of worldwide safety and accessibility for Walt Disney Parks and Resorts.

Audio description works by way of a handheld wireless device, which relies on a series of remote, infrared sensors to determine a guest’s location and dispense the appropriate narration. A guest hears the clear, even-toned descriptions through a single earpiece, which leaves the other ear free to gauge one’s surroundings.

The handheld device, which is built to withstand elements like rain, diet coke, and accidental droppings to the ground, also features amplified sound and hand-held captions for guests who are deaf or hard-of-hearing. Those services have been available at the park since 2005, but it took Disney engineers much longer to perfect audio description, particularly to make sure the narrations didn’t interrupt an attraction’s primary narration.

The audio description service has been available for about two weeks, but Disney says it’s working on expanding it to include descriptions of outdoor areas, which is especially pertinent given the International Flower & Garden Festival currently underway at Epcot. Like Braille maps or the Guidemap for Guests with Disabilities, the audio description device is available at Guest Services at each of the four theme parks. There’s no cost for the handheld or the earpiece, but there is a refundable $100 daily deposit.

Audio description is currently available at 11 locations in Epcot, 11 locations in Magic Kingdom, 5 locations in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and 3 locations in Disney’s Animal Kingdom. So if you’re a visually impaired guest, be sure to check it out upon your next visit for extra help in enjoying your favorite attractions at Walt Disney World. And remember to save extra by getting your Walt Disney World tickets at OrlandoFunTickets.com.

Labels: Christmas in Disney Hollywood Studios, Discount Disney Tickets, Disney Animal Kingdom Attractions, EPCOT attractions, guest services, Magic Kingdom Attractions