‘Sesame Street’ Gets More Accessible With Descriptive Audio, Sign Language
By Alexa Heah, 14 Sep 2023

Sesame Workshop, the non-profit educational organization behind the hit children’s series Sesame Street, recently announced it will be taking significant steps to enhance the accessibility of its content.
In collaboration with communications technology company Dicapta and with funding from the US Department of Education (DOE), the studio’s Spanish-language content is about to become even more inclusive.
One of the standout initiatives in this collaboration is the addition of descriptive audio and captions to Spanish-language versions of fan-favorite shows, including Sesame Street and Cookie Monster’s Foodie Truck.
This move is aimed at making the content more accessible to a wider audience, including those with visual or hearing impairments.

That’s not all. Sesame Workshop will be expanding such features for several other shows, such as Plaza Sesamo, Listos a Jugar, Pequenas Aventureras, Monstruos en Red, Elmo and Tango’s Mysterious Mysteries, and The Furchester Hotel.
All of these programs are available on Plaza Sesamo’s YouTube channel—ensuring that a diverse range of viewers can enjoy and benefit from them.
Moreover, this partnership will extend to the creation of descriptive audio and American Sign Language (ASL) versions of specific programs.
This includes episodes like The Feelings Garden, Me & My Grown-Up, and I Notice, I Feel, I Can, which feature the beloved Muppets from Sesame Street.
These videos respond to the growing mental health concerns in young children by introducing concepts of well-being for families, which is especially vital in today’s challenging times.
Over time, Sesame Workshop will be rolling out similar initiatives, covering a range of important topics such as school readiness, financial education, and professional development.
“At Sesame Workshop, we are committed to providing engaging content to help all children grow smarter, stronger, and kinder,” said Whit Higgins, executive vice president and head of global enterprises at Sesame Workshop.
“We address critical needs through a wide range of activities and resources on multiple platforms to reach our audience wherever they are. We are thrilled to work with Dicapta to increase access for children with disabilities.”
[via Mashable and Sesame Workshop, images via Sesame Workshop]
This article was crafted with assistance from an AI engine, and has been reviewed, edited, and fact-checked.