AUCKLAND, Today: Able, New Zealand’s premier provider of media access services, is excited to launch Sight Unseen. This innovative web series debuts on 26th February, spotlighting the experiences of young people who are blind or have low vision.
This pioneering series fully incorporates audio description, which describes on-screen actions for those who can’t see them, enhancing accessibility for all viewers.
The show follows host Ari Kerssens as he explores diverse experiences related to blindness and low vision with different individuals each episode.
Able has long connected the disability community with the screen sector, delivering over 500 hours of captions and around 130 hours of audio descriptions weekly across New Zealand.
Dan Buckingham, Chief Executive at Able, states, “Able has always been positioned well as a strong bridge between the screen sector and the disability communities we serve. However, as we have grown, matured and evolved, we’ve moved to a position of being able to deliver in more varied ways, and as a charitable trust, we feel the responsibility to follow through on this.
“Able has always been positioned well as a strong bridge between the screen sector and the disability communities we serve.” – Dan Buckingham
“Awareness is one of our key strategic pillars. One of the ways we’re following through on this is by creating great content that enlightens as much as it entertains.”
Sheldene Seth, co-director of Sight Unseen, adds, “Sight Unseen was a unique and thought-provoking series to bring to life. Using audio description as a core storytelling element not only heightened the creative process but also redefined how we approached visual media.
“Understanding its function for the blind and low vision audience challenged us to craft stronger visuals and a tailored pace, ultimately making the series more engaging and accessible.”
The first episode features Thomas Coysh, focusing on his passion for Para alpine skiing while blindfolded, guided by audio cues. The next episode introduces Roman Parahi, adjusting to life after losing his vision, continuing his sports passion with a guide.
Sight Unseen will stream episodes daily on TikTok and Instagram starting 26th February, with all episodes available on Able’s website and YouTube from 3rd March.
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