Called "audio description," the service provides visually impaired vacationers with a narrative depiction of the scenes that unfold as they move through rides such as the Magic Kingdom's Haunted Mansion or Pirates of the Caribbean.
It is the latest feature added to a proprietary, wireless system that Disney World initially developed to help disabled guests. The system also includes features for deaf and hard-of-hearing guests, such as amplified sound and hand-held captions.
Naively, one would think that simply piping in a narrative audio would be sufficient. But as in many cases, the devil is in the details. Things are often not as trivial as they appear. It is certainly the case here.
Engineers had to make various changes along the way. Tests revealed, for instance, that blind guests were uncomfortable using the original, two-ear headphones because they depend on their sense of sound to guide themselves around. So Disney replaced the headphone with a single earpiece, which allows a guest to leave the other ear unobstructed.
The system's narration also had to be carefully selected and produced to distinguish it from the other audio encountered in a Disney attraction.
For example, in the Haunted Mansion, where all riders listen to a ghoulishly themed male voice, the audio description produced by the hand-held device is provided by a female voice speaking in even tones.
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