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Audio Description on PBS Videos

How do I enable Audio Description on PBS videos?

Audio Description (AD) or Descriptive Video Service (DVS) is a secondary audio track that describes what’s appearing on screen during a video. This option is made available to audiences who are blind or visually impaired. 

Not every video on the PBS and PBS KIDS sites and apps offers AD. To find all videos with AD from PBS click the button below or scan the QR code. You can use the filter options on the left side of the page to filter by show and video type.

Find PBS Programs with Audio Description

PBS Audio Described Program List QR Code

QR code to find Audio Described Videos from PBS

Once in the video play window, go to the lower right of the window to toggle through the icons to choose options such as extended audio description, captioning, on-Screen American Sign Language (ASL) when available.

Screen capture of the lower part of the video window to allow turning on accessibility features

For videos that do offer AD, you can enable AD by following the steps below on your respective device. The English (AD) track option will not appear for videos that do not offer the secondary audio track.

For PBS Videos

PBS.org Website

At the bottom of the video player, select the headphones icon and select the English AD track option.

iPhones and iPads

On the video player, select the three dots icon (. . .) and select Languages. Select the English AD track option.

Android Mobile

At this time, AD is not supported on Android mobile for the PBS app.

Roku

While the video is playing, press the star / asterisk button on your remote. Scroll down and select Audio track to change it to English AD. Select Close to return to the video.

Apple TV 4

Pause the video and select the Audio Levels icon above the video track on the right-hand side. The Audio Levels icon appears as a series of vertical bars – you may have to “scroll up” or press the up button on your remote to see this icon. After selecting the Audio Levels icon, select English AD from the options underneath Audio Track.

Amazon Fire and Android TV

At this time, AD is not supported on Amazon Fire and Android TV devices for the PBS app.

Samsung TV

At this time, AD is not supported on Samsung TV devices for the PBS app.

VIZIO SmartCast TV

At this time, AD is not supported on VIZIO SmartCast TV devices for the PBS app.

For PBS KIDS Videos

PBSKIDS.org Website

At the bottom of the video player, select the gear icon. Under Audio Selection, select the Audio Description (English) track option.

iPhones and iPads

On the video player, select the gear icon and select the English AD track option.

Android Mobile

On the video player, select the gear icon and select the English AD track option.

Roku

While the video is playing, press the star / asterisk button on your remote. Scroll down and select Audio track to change it to English AD. Select Close to return to the video.

Apple TV 4

Pause the video and select the Audio Levels icon above the video track on the right-hand side. The Audio Levels icon appears as a series of vertical bars – you may have to “scroll up” or press the up button on your remote to see this icon. After selecting the Audio Levels icon, select English AD from the options underneath Audio Track.

Amazon Fire and Android TV

While the video is playing, press up on your remote to select the gear icon at the top right corner of the screen. Select English (AD). Press up on your remote to close the prompt and return to the video.

Samsung TV

At this time, AD is not supported on Samsung TV devices for the PBS KIDS Video app.

VIZIO SmartCast TV

At this time, AD is not supported on VIZIO SmartCast TV devices for the PBS KIDS Video app.

Source: PBS Help

Public Radio Music Day

Join us in celebrating Public Radio Music Day on October 23.

Public radio music stations help listeners discover and explore music they’ve never heard before. From new and emerging artists to the classics, noncommercial music is only found on public radio. Public Radio Music Day brings together noncommercial public radio stations, artists, and fans to recognize public radio’s essential community service and unique role in the music industry locally and nationally.

WXXI is proud to be a part of Public Radio Music Day and will continue engaging music fans, artists, and musicians through on-air, studio sessions, fan and artist stories, special programming and curated playlists. On October 23, WXXI Classical and The Route will join stations across the country in hosting special broadcast and programming to connect their community with local musicians and artists; school music programs; and advocate for the continued support of public radio music stations.

As part of the celebration, WXXI Classical presents a special Live From Hochstein program, The Classical Mandolin, featuring Ken Luk on mandolin; Howard Spindler on piano; Bernardo Marcondes Rodrigues on guitar, and singer Joanna Kim. Join us at Hochstein Performance Hall (50 North Plymouth Ave. in Rochester) at 12 p.m. on Wednesday, October 23 for this free concert. Can’t make it in person? You can listen to the live performance on WXXI Classical.

At 5 p.m. The Route will simulcast a special concert with Bartees Strange live from WTMD. It will also stream right here.

From 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at The Little Theatre Café enjoy free live music with Margaret Explosion. Peggi Fournier on soprano sax, Ken Frank on double bass, Paul Dodd on drums, and Phil Marshall on guitar present “lyric-free musical dimensions linked to free jazz and slow motion psychedelia.”

October’s CREATE Showcases • WXXI-CREATE

Enjoy these marathons with your favorite CREATE celebrities throughout October!

CREATE Showcases air Fridays from 9 p.m. to 12 a.m., Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Sundays from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. on WXXI-CREATE.

Italian American Heritage – October 4-6
The heritage, history and culture of Italy are on display, and you know the food will impress! Join Create hosts to celebrate Italian American Heritage Month and the many flavors and traditions of Bella Italia.

Moveable Feast – October 11-13
Come along for a mouthwatering ride withMoveable Feast. Gain cooking inspiration from regional, seasonal ingredients and little-known food treasures and catch the spirit of pop-up cooking along the way.

Woodworking  – October 18-20
Looking to craft handmade projects that will stand the test of time? The artisans from American Woodshop, Classic Woodworking, Craftsman’s Legacy and Woodsmith Shop will guide you in this weekend that marries art and carpentry.

Holiday Cooking Inspiration – October 25-27
The holiday season will be here before you know it, and the cooks at America’s Test Kitchen have everything you need to settle your menus before everyone gathers around the table. Perfect appetizers, mains, and desserts with ease with these failproof recipes and techniques.

Renegades: Judy-Lynn del Rey: The Galaxy Gal – On-Demand

In this new digital series, musician and disability inclusion advocate Lachi explores the cultural contributions of people with disabilities and how they transformed America.

The episode exploring Judy-Lynn del Rey’s life is the story of a woman with dwarfism who revolutionized the world of science fiction by editing and publishing books from sci-fi writers such as Arthur C. Clarke, Isaac Asimov, Philip K. Dick and George Lucas’ “Star Wars” in novel form. See how science fiction narratives, through their speculative and imaginative nature, offer a more inclusive and equitable lens through which to redefine disability.

Educational Resources: Judy-Lynn del Rey: Galaxy Girl PBS LearningMedia Video, Discussion Questions and Teaching Tips (Grades 9-12)

Watch Episode with Open Captioned with On-Screen American Sign Language (ASL)

Watch Episode with extended audio description and large open captions

Learn More About Judy-Lynn del Rey

Learn More about American Masters Renegades

A Good Life • WXXI-WORLD

Life is full of joys and challenges for us all — but the experiences of individuals living with Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities (I/DD) is something that not everyone understands or appreciates.

A Good Life airs Saturday, October 26 at 1 p.m. on WXXI-WORLD

A Good Life, a WXXI production, takes an intimate look into the lives of six adults living with I/DD and their families. The film shares the challenges and opportunities they face, while leading national experts and historians in the field offer insight. 

This documentary is presented as part of WXXI and the Golisano Foundation’s Move to IncludeTM, an award-winning national initiative to promote disability inclusion, representation, and accessibility in public media. 

Photo: Title card • Credit: WXXI

The Good Karma Hospital • WXXI-TV

The story of a junior doctor who arrives in picture perfect India looking for a job.

The Good Karma Hospital airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. on WXXI-TV,

The six-part series tells the story of junior doctor, Ruby Walker, who arrives in India looking for a job and a distraction from her heartbreak. She anticipates the sunshine, the palm trees, and picture-perfect beaches. What she doesn’t expect are the realities of work, life, and even love at an under-resourced and overworked cottage hospital.

The First Lady • WXXI-TV

A revelatory, dramatic reframing of American leadership through the lens of the First Ladies.

The First Lady airs Thursdays, October 24-November 21 at 8 p.m. on WXXI-TV.

Starring Viola Davis as Michelle Obama, Michelle Pfeiffer as Betty Ford and Gillian Anderson as Eleanor Roosevelt, The First Lady delves deep into the ladies’ personal and political lives.

Exploring everything from their journeys to Washington, family life, and world-changing political contributions, the impact of the White House’s women is no longer hidden from view.  

Nominated for Primetime Emmy Awards, Critics Choice Awards and NAACP Image Awards, The First Lady  includes Kiefer Sutherland as Franklin Roosevelt, Aaron Eckhart as Gerald Ford, and O-T Fagbenie as Barack Obama. 

Photo: Key Art – The First Lady
Credit: Provided by APT

Sky Blossom: Diaries of the Next Greatest Generation  • WXXI-TV

During World War II, troops would look up and say, “Here come the Sky Blossoms” – paratroopers rushing to their aid. Today, a new generation is answering that call for help.

Sky Blossom: Diaries of the Next Greatest Generation airs Sunday, October 20 at 2:30 p.m. on WXXI-TV.

Filmed over three years, Sky Blossom is a raw, uplifting window into 24.5 million children and millennials stepping forward as frontline heroes. Caring for family with tough medical conditions, they stay at home doing things often seen only in hospitals. They are cheerleaders, work part time, and go to college – but also live double lives – quietly growing up as America’s next greatest generation.

This documentary is presented as part of WXXI and the Golisano Foundation’s Move to IncludeTM, an award-winning national initiative to promote disability inclusion, representation, and accessibility in public media. 

Photo: Ryann Allen shares a moment with her father, Chaz
Credit: VINO WONG/Sky Blossom

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