Hello lovely people! Greetings from Hobart, where I'm the Accessibility Project Coordinator for Mona (the Museum of Old and New Art) and its festivals.
We're investigating providing audio description for a contemporary dance performance for Mona Foma 2024 and I'm looking around to see what equipment is being used in venues and organisations.
Audio description is fairly new in Tasmania but there is demand in our blind community especially. A group of six performing and visual arts professionals, including me, are being trained and mentored by experienced describer Clare Spillman, who originally trained and worked in the UK.
If anyone has insights into the best equipment for description, I'd love to hear your thoughts! The performance in 2024 will be in a 750 seat theatre. The largest indoor performance venue in Tasmania is a 5,500 person arena.
Hey Olivia,
I have encountered several ways to accommodate audio description in my time.
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Induction Loop
We have an open induction loop in our auditoriums. This is a cable that runs under the carpet around the perimeter of the auditorium creating an electromagnetic field that the T-setting (telecoil) can tune into. Customers must have their hearing aid switched to T to access audio amplification/description.
Digital Radio Frequency
In addition to this, we have some bodypack receivers and accompanying headphones that can be used for audio amplification/description. There are a range of transmitters & receivers on the market, the bodypack ones we use are below and should work with most transmitters.
EK 2020-D-II - Sturdy and versatile bodypack receiver | Sennheiser
This can be used with headphones or an induction loop for transmitting the sound to hearing aids equipped with a T coil. Sennheiser EZT 3012 Universal induction loop (soundinduction.co.uk)
If a customer has a hearing aid without the T-setting we have a mini transmitter that we can plug into a bodypack receiver which will connect to the bluetooth hearing aid.
ORIA Aux Bluetooth Adapter, Bluetooth 5.0 Transmitter Receiver, 2-in-1 Bluetooth Aux Adapter, Suitable for Cars, Speakers, Stereo Systems and Headphones, USB Charging: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics & Photo
Infrared
I used to work at Hampstead Theatre and there the audio amplification/description was transmitted through infrared waves from radiators placed strategically throughout the auditorium for best coverage. Customers are then provided with a receiver - either a standalone in-ear headset for those without hearing aids or an induction loop (worn round the neck like a necklace) for those with hearing aids that creates a mini electromagnetic field.
Bear in mind infrared only works if there is no obstacle between the radiator and the receiver whereas digital radio frequency has no such limitations.
Radiators - Sennheiser SZI 1015 2-Watt infrared radiator. (soundinduction.co.uk)
In ear headsets & receiver Sennheiser HDI 830 Stereo / mono stethoset receiver (soundinduction.co.uk)
Loop receivers Sennheiser EKI 830 stereo / mono receiver with 3.5mm jack socket (soundinduction.co.uk)
Loop Sennheiser EZT 3012 Universal induction loop (soundinduction.co.uk)
If a customer has a hearing aid without the T-setting we have a mini transmitter that we can plug into the loop receiver & loop (worn around the customer's neck) which will connect to the bluetooth hearing aid, link above.
All of the Sennheiser devices have 2 channels, we set it up so that channel 1 is the show relay and channel 2 is the audio description but customers can chose to listen to just one channel or both at the same time
I am also told that there is something called a portable audio description device but I haven't done any research into this, I would imagine it may be something like what tour guides use?
Let me know if you have any further questions and I would be happy to help!
All the best,
Chloe
Thank you so much for that detail, Chloe! That is really helpful and gives me a number of avenues to investigate. I really appreciate the time you put into this!