There’s nothing like being able to watch a movie and relax while on a flight, and with recent technology updates, now blind and visually impaired passengers can learn how to watch audio described movies while on their next flight. I recently discovered this while on my way to the Grace Hopper Celebration and I was really excited to finally watch a movie that all of my friends had been talking about- Black Panther! Here is how to watch audio described movies on your next flight.
Related links
First, what is audio description?
Audio description, sometimes referred to as descriptive audio, is an additional narration track that describes visual information for people with blindness and vision impairment. It can be used for movies, TV shows, plays, museums, dance performances, and many other different places where having information about visual cues can be highly beneficial.
Related links
Download the airline’s app
Many planes, especially regional ones, require that users download their app in order to access in-flight entertainment such as movies and TV shows. Users then connect to a free wifi network once on the plane. Information on whether in-flight entertainment is available can be found in the amenities section on the flight information page.
Using the touch screen on the plane
Some planes feature touch screens built into the seats so that users can browse entertainment without needing to balance their device. However, none of the touch screens feature screen readers, so people needing audio description will have to ask for assistance to locate audio described videos on those touch screens. Users can still use their own device with a screen reader if they prefer.
Related links
Participating airlines
Each airline has a different way of showing which movies have audio description. Some airlines hide this information, so it may be worth searching this information prior to your flight.
How to watch audio described movies on United Airlines
United’s selection of audio described movies is accessible by going to accessibility and selecting the AD option.
Related links
How to watch audio described movies on American Airlines
American Airlines is a bit more tricky since they consider audio description to be a language option. I found the list of titles available by running a web search for “American Airlines English Audio Descriptive.” I would bookmark movies I prior to going on my flight since users can’t search by language
How to watch audio described movies on KLM Royal Dutch Airlines
KLM recently started offering movies with audio description on their flights. While I can’t figure out how to search for movies with audio description, users can figure out if a selected title has audio description or not by checking the “accessibility” section under the particular movie title.
Related links
How to watch audio described movies on Delta
According to a Delta representative I spoke to on Twitter, audio description is available for select in-flight entertainment options. No clarification was given on how to do this and no information is available on their website either. I will update this post when I receive more information.
How to watch audio described movies on British Airways
British Airways has a great selection of movies with audio description. I appreciate how easy it was to find which movies had it on their website.
Related links
How to watch audio described movies on Emirates
Emirates was the first airline to offer movies with audio description in 2014, which is really awesome. To find movies with audio description, click on the “Movies With Audio Description” link on the Emirates entertainment website.
Related links
Emirates entertainment website
How to watch audio described movies on Lufthansa
Like American Airlines, Lufthansa offers audio description by writing “English Audio Descriptive” in the language bar.
Related links
Need assistance?
If you need additional assistance, I recommend reaching out to customer support prior to the flight. Everyone I talked to while researching this post was able to help me quickly and easily. If you’re already on the plane, the flight attendants may be able to provide some assistance. However, they may not have training on how to work the in-flight entertainment devices.
Enjoy!
I love being able to watch movies while I’m on a plane, and I was excited to learn that many airlines are now supporting audio description. With these tips, it’s easy to learn how to watch audio described movies on your next flight, wherever that may be.
