Audio Description and DVS Logos: How to Recognize Accessibility Symbols

Before you start

Audio description logos identify media that includes an extra narration track describing important visual details for blind and low-vision viewers. The most common symbols are a stylized eye, a speech bubble, or the letters AD. DVS, short for Descriptive Video Service, is a specific audio description brand used mainly in North America. You may see it spelled out or shown as a small badge on a package, app screen, or program guide.

Recognizing a logo does not require special equipment. The symbol usually appears near other accessibility indicators such as closed captioning or subtitles. Check the platform you are using, because a DVS badge on broadcast television may look different from an AD marker in a streaming app or on a DVD case.

If you are looking at a physical case, inspect the back cover and spine. If you are using an app, open the title details or playback settings. If you are reading event or cinema listings, look for accessibility notes alongside screening times.

Step-by-step instructions

Use the following steps to identify an audio description logo and confirm that the feature is available.

• 1. Open the title details or program information page.
• 2. Find the row of accessibility symbols near the runtime, rating, or language options.
• 3. Look for AD, DVS, a narrated eye icon, or a speech bubble with a visual scene inside it.
• 4. Compare the symbol with the platform's legend or help page if the meaning is unclear.
• 5. Start playback and open the audio or language menu to confirm that an audio description track is listed.
• 6. Select the track and listen for a narrator describing actions, settings, or on-screen text.