Let’s take a moment to appreciate the cosmic comedy of my career.
I’ve been performing voiceover for decades. My earliest jobs involved actual CDs and a hope that someone would fax me a script. I’ve voiced gangsters, monsters, CEOs, robots, and loving uncles.
Somewhere along the way, Apple decided to join the party with their accessibility feature for blind users: VoiceOver.
Capital V. Capital O. VoiceOver.
Same term. VERY different meaning.
Then came audio description, AD for short. While it had descriptive video, descriptive narration, and video description, we hurdled toward the term AD, thanks to the FCC.
And yet again, I’ve spent years performing, producing, and advocating for high-quality AD to make visual storytelling inclusive.
And juuuuuust as we were getting people to understand that “AD” doesn’t mean “ad” as in “advertisement”…
Streaming services started flooding our screens with (wait for it….) ads.
So now we’ve got a Voice Over performer (me) testing content by using Voice Over (Apple) on content with AD (audio description), which you can only access after skipping-or enduring-a few ADs (ads).
If your head’s spinning, welcome to my world. No, it’s not a conspiracy. It’s just a delicious alphabet soup of unintentional chaos. And yes, I find it funny. Mostly because if I didn’t laugh, I’d have to create a 12-part flowchart every time I introduce myself at a dinner party.
But here’s the twist: all this confusion reveals a deeper truth.
Voice matters. And not just any voice. The right voice. The one that carries intention, nuance, and care. Guiding someone through a website with Apple’s VoiceOver, helping blind audiences feel a movie through AD, or voicing that commercial that sneaks in before the content even loads… your voice has power.
And that’s where I come in.
The Describer Dilemma (or, Why I’m Still Fighting That Title)
If you know me, you know I have a complicated relationship with the term “describer.” Yes, it’s technically accurate. But it feels reductive, like calling a Michelin-star chef a “food-putter-on-plater.”
I prefer AD performer. Someone who steps into the emotional current of a story and gently guides others along for the ride.
If you’re in the industry, you get it. If you’re interested in the industry, maybe you’re a voice actor, a savvy strategist, or a creative producer looking to level up your content’s accessibility, I’ve got something for you.
Want to Work Together?
Here’s how we can connect:
Coaching: Ready to transition into AD or refine your voiceover craft with depth, connection, and clarity? I offer personalized coaching rooted in 30+ years of performance and inclusive storytelling.
Workshops: My interactive sessions help creatives, producers, and accessibility teams understand what truly makes AD immersive. (Hint: it’s not just about ticking a compliance box.)
Consulting: Build that accessible media from the ground up, or retrofitting a streaming platform, I can help you align your storytelling with excellence and empathy.
Want to flourish with your voice? I specialize in helping VO professionals turn their performance into impact. And if you’re part of the corporate or nonprofit world trying to do better with accessibility for blind clients?
Let’s make your content more inclusive, without making it confusing.
A Final Thought (With a Wink)
Isn’t it poetic that after all these years, the loudest twin isn’t another VoiceOver artist, it’s a settings menu?
And yet, amidst the irony, I’m hopeful. Because more people are starting to care about access, clarity, and emotional connection. As I’ve said for years, creatives are asking not “how cheap can we make this?” but “how great can we make it?”
That’s the question I love to answer.
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Ready to work together or learn more?
Visit roysamuelson.com
Follow me on linkedin.com/in/roysamuelson
Or drop into one of my upcoming workshops, where we turn confusion into clarity, alphabet soup into strategy, and accessibility into artistry.