Joel Snyder

Joel Snyder, Ph.D., is the President of Audio Description Associates, LLC and Director of the Audio Description Project of the American Council of the Blind.156 He is known internationally as one of the first "audio describers".26 Since 1981, Snyder has introduced audio description techniques in over 40 states and 63 countries.65

Snyder's work includes:

• Developing audio description for media, museum tours, and performing arts worldwide.3
• Producing description for nationally broadcast films and network series, including "Sesame Street" broadcasts and DVDs.34
• Introducing description techniques in over sixty nations.3
• Directing Described Media for the National Captioning Institute.2
• Serving as an arts specialist for the National Endowment for the Arts for 20 years.2

Snyder is the author of The Visual Made Verbal: A Comprehensive Training Manual and Guide to the History and Applications of Audio Description.456 It was published by the American Council of the Blind and is available in Braille and as an audiobook from the Library of Congress.46 It is also available in screen reader accessible formats, and in English, Spanish, Chinese, Polish, Russian, and Portuguese.46 An Italian edition is planned for release in 2023.4

Snyder was a Fulbright Scholar in 2019, teaching audio description in Athens, Greece, with workshops in Malta and Ukraine.4 He has also won awards, including the 2015 American Foundation for the Blind Access Award and the 2014 Vernon Henley Media Award.14

According to LinkedIn, Snyder's username is joel-snyder-626aa95.2