Aftersight Volunteer Guide and Expectations
This document is designed to guide both new and existing volunteers in embarking on and maintaining their assignments, ensuring continuous adherence to our high standards. Your role is critical in making print content accessible for individuals who are blind or have low vision.
The journey starts with your application and audition, leading to your role an Aftersight Reader. Once you’ve successfully passed the audition, a member of the Aftersight team will provide you with your program details and schedule.
Refer to this handbook for guidance on your first episode, troubleshooting, and a refresher on our required expectations. Your dedication and compliance with these standards are essential to our mission. Thank you for your commitment to excellence in service.
1×1 Voiceover and Recording Training
All volunteers can book virtual time with your Voiceover and Recording Coach, Jonathan Price.
Basic volunteer expectations
Failure to meet these expectations may result in retraining or dismissal.
- Adhere to guidelines: Abide by the expectations outlined in the tabs on this page.
- Contact information: Maintain current contact details with Aftersight staff.
- Report your hours after each session. Meet your deadlines (Mountain Time Zone)
File Naming and Management
- Correct Naming: Name your audio files as directed.
- Proper Uploading: Upload files to the designated folder in your portal account.
- Security: Do not share your portal login credentials or access others’ accounts.
- File Integrity: Never alter or delete any folders in the portal.
Absences and Substitutions
- Notify of Absences: Inform Aftersight staff promptly about any absences using the online form.
- No Personal Substitutions: Do not find substitutes for your show or use synthetic voices.
- Stay informed: Regularly check announcements on the volunteer portal and emails from Aftersight.
Perform tasks efficiently and independently.
Be open to constructive feedback to enhance your contributions.
Introduction video
Things you will need (If recording from home)
- Decent <5 year old computer with latest software updates, adequate RAM and memory.
- Quality USB or studio microphone.
- Decent internet with a minimal upload speed of 10 mbps (Test internet by clicking here)
- A quiet space to record.
- Recording software.
Download Recording Software
1.Go to Audacity’s website to download the latest version.
- Download Audacity for Windows
- Download Audacity for Mac
2. It should begin installing right away. If it doesn’t, click the version you want to install. The download will save to your computer.
3. Run the installer, follow the prompts for setup.
Setting up your space
Quick tips for home recording
- Record in a closet! (Or somewhere that has minimal hard surfaces to reduce echo).
- Warm up your voice before recording.
- Clear your workspace to minimize accidental bumping and rubbing of objects during recording. Ensure you do not touch the mic nor the mic stand while recording.
- Listen closely – Avoid recording in an area with seemingly small noises such as a refrigerator or fan.
- Listen to your audio files before uploading to ensure they sound good!
File Management
Understanding basic file management is one of the biggest areas that can make or break your success as an Aftersight volunteer or a voiceover professional in general.
There are a variety of ways to manage your files, so find something that is logical to you that makes it easiest for your to track and find your audio files when you export. We’d recommend saving to a designated folder on your computer with a clear name (Ex: My Aftersight Files) and archiving your files in a separate folder.
This will make more sense to you as you begin doing voiceover work and working with many files over long periods of time.
Recording Audio
Our listeners deserve quality, timely and accurate audio information, so our expectations of volunteers are high. Failure to abide by the following requirements may result in mandatory retraining or dismissal from your volunteer position.
Audio Requirements
Whether recording from your home or from our studios, we expect you to meet all of our audio requirements. Recording in studio removes many challenges to meet these expectations, but is not required.
- 192 kbps mp3, Constant Bit Rate (CBR) and 44.1kHz (or 44100 Hz.)
- Note: the “mp3” extension is case sensitive, meaning “MP3”, “Mp3”, “mP3” will not be processed properly by our systems.
- Mono
- Measure around -12dB peak
- Consistent in sound and formatting
- Audio must be clean and high quality – no popping, background sound, buzzing, shuffling etc. (ALWAYS do a test recording before beginning)
- Proper running time (As specified to you upon assignment)
- Turn in on time (As specified to you upon assignment)
- Use your program code as the filename (As specified to you upon assignment)
Sample of the audio quality we expect:
Booking a studio
Our studios are open during our business hours, and require a reservation. All studios are located at 1700 55th Street, Suite A, Boulder, CO 80301. Please review the videos below for an orientation on studio booking and use.
How to use Audacity
FAQs
Common audio issue tips
Recording FAQs
Reading and Presentation requirements
Our goal is to ensure that our content is presented clearly and authentically, respecting the original material while making it accessible and user friendly to our blind and low vision audience. This page aims to empowering you to produce engaging and high-quality audio content that meets the needs of our community.
Basics:
- Reading Order: Transform the newspaper into an accessible format by following the publication’s intended order, much like chapters of a book. Start with the main page articles, then proceed to other sections like editorials, obituaries, etc., as time permits.
- Content Authenticity: Read exactly as written, do not add personal commentary or summarization.
- Speech Clarity: Focus on clear speech, proper enunciation, and correct pronunciation in your readings.
- Author Attribution: Credit the publications and the authors of articles.
- Advertisements: Currently, there is no need to read the advertisements. (Please note: This policy may change soon!)
- Intro/Closing Script: Use the script assigned to your program at the beginning and end of your recordings.
Scripts:
- Dated content is content that is time-sensitive and tied to specific dates. This includes news, current events, announcements, and anything that loses relevance over time. Examples: Daily news broadcasts, event announcements, updates on specific happenings.
- Non-dated content is content that remains informative, educational, or entertaining regardless of when it is accessed. This type of content is not tied to current events or specific dates, making it perpetually relevant. Examples: Literature readings, educational pieces, timeless stories, how-to guides, and informational content.
If you have any questions about the content type or the appropriate scripts to use, please reach out to the Aftersight staff for guidance.
English
Spanish
Performance
- Handling Mistakes: Correct mistakes verbally by saying “Let me try that again” or “correction”. No need to edit the audio; inexperienced editors should avoid editing.
- Time Management: Stay within your programs time frame. If you run short on time in the middle of an article, conclude with “We are running out of time, so we’ll wrap up the article here” and proceed with the closing script.
- Content Management: If you have insufficient content to fill the time, here are some tips:
- Ensure you are reading all of the articles in the e-edition, including the obituaries, weather, event listings, calendars, opinion, etc.
- See if the publication’s website has some newer articles or additional content that isn’t in the e-edition.
- Ask Aftersight Staff about describing images – we’ll train you how! This can take up some time and add value to your reading. (Note: Please don’t attempt this without our specialized training)
- Still not enough content? Email alex@Aftersight.org and we can look at some other options.
- Note: Never supplement content from other sources without permission from Aftersight staff.
- Quality Expectations: We aim for authenticity, not perfection. A typical 26-minute audio file should take about 45 minutes to create; a 56-minute file, about 1.5 hours.
Information Equity and Ethical Reading Practices
Information equity is central to our mission. It’s vital that all of our listeners, who are blind or have low vision, receive the same full, accurate, and uncensored information as everyone else. This means ensuring that volunteers follow strict guidelines for reading only from approved sources and presenting content fully and accurately, and in the order intended by the publication or as instructed by staff.
We are strict about these guidelines for several key reasons:
- Maintaining Information Equity: Our listeners deserve full and unbiased access to the same information that sighted audiences receive.
- Preventing Censorship: Skipping or altering content based on personal preferences or discomfort is a form of censorship and violates our mission.
- Preserving Content Authenticity: The original message must remain intact to avoid misrepresentation.
- Ensuring Unbiased Reporting: Cherry-picking content introduces bias and results in an unbalanced narrative.
- Respecting Listener Autonomy: Our audience must have the full content to form their own opinions.
- Trust and Credibility: Our service depends on providing consistent, accurate, and reliable information.
- Avoiding Harmful Stereotypes: Making assumptions about what the audience finds relevant reduces the diversity of information shared.
- Adherence to Ethical Standards: We are committed to maintaining strict ethical standards, which prohibits any form of manipulation of content.
- Promoting Professionalism: Volunteers are held to high standards to ensure the accurate and fair delivery of content.
We expect our volunteers to avoid cherry-picking content, which includes skipping material that feels uncomfortable, seems boring, or conflicts with personal beliefs. The following actions undermine Information Equity and are not allowed. Violations may result in mandatory retraining or dismissal for censorship:
- Skipping Sensitive Topics: Avoiding uncomfortable subjects denies listeners full access to information.
- Bias in Content Selection: Skipping sections or assuming what interests the audience leads to bias and an unbalanced narrative.
- Adding Personal Commentary: Injecting personal opinions compromises neutrality and risks misrepresentation.
- Summarizing Instead of Verbatim Reading: Paraphrasing distorts the original message and harms content integrity.
- Altering Sensitive Language: Changing or softening language compromises authenticity.
- Ignoring Advertisements (if Required): Omitting required ads denies listeners the full experience.
- Ignoring Publication Order: Reading out of order misrepresents the intended structure of the content.
- Inserting Filler Content: Adding unapproved material introduces unauthorized content.
This practice is not just discouraged—it is considered unethical. Our commitment to presenting authentic, unbiased information means we must avoid any form of manipulation, whether intentional or not. Our audience deserves access to all parts of the publication, just as it was meant to be consumed.
By reading articles verbatim, in the correct order, and without personal input, we maintain the integrity of the content, which is critical for providing transparent and equitable access to information.
To highlight the importance of these policies, here’s a message from Penn – a member of the blind community:
“As somebody who relies on the Audio editions, I want you to know that it is extremely important to me that I get to make my own decisions about what I listen to or don’t listen to. People who are sighted can look at a magazine and decide to read or not read, a specific article or an ad. It is extremely frustrating to me that sighted people are choosing what I as a blind person have access to. The reason that Aftersight has changed their policies is because people like me want to have the same choices that people who are sighted have. You may think it is a fluff article or information that would be irrelevant is your opinion. However, to truly have information equity we need our volunteers to read everything regardless of their opinions. I hope you understand where I am coming from. Our volunteers should not be making choices for our listeners. If our listeners find an ad or a story inappropriate, they need to make the choice on their own to contact that particular media outlet directly. This is true for sighted people. We do not want our volunteers censoring information for our listeners.” – Penn Street
If a volunteer is uncomfortable with certain material, they can approach the situation in a few ways:
- Using phrases like “quote” and “end quote” around sensitive content.
- Including an Aftersight-approved disclaimer to distance themselves from the views expressed in the content.
- Spelling out uncomfortable words instead of saying them aloud.
If the material is too uncomfortable to read, volunteers are encouraged to contact Aftersight staff for an alternative assignment, and if necessary, we will evaluate whether the publication is a good fit for our services. We value the integrity of the news and your comfort as a volunteer. Your adherence to these ethical standards ensures that Aftersight’s service remains trustworthy, transparent, and accessible to all.
Technical
- Image Description: While not required, you can describe images if it adds value to the story; however, it’s a specialized skill that you must receive training on before including it in your readings. Reach out to Aftersight staff if you are interested.
- Typos/poor grammar: For obvious errors, correct them on the fly if you can. If not, you can verbally put them in quotes by saying “quote” “end quote” before and after the section. Let Aftersight staff know if it’s just too ridiculous to handle.
- Pronunciation Accuracy: Use resources like YouTube or www.howtopronounce.com for pronunciation. If unsure, maintain consistency in your reading.
- Links: If the link is relatively short and easy to say, go ahead and read it out as ” www.linkedsite.com/relevant page” — If it is a long or complex link, just say the name of the website.
- Voice Authenticity and Computer Generated Voices: Use only your own voice for recordings. We value the human connection and authenticity a real voice brings to our listeners.
FAQ’s and Resources
- YouGlish: Gives you fast, unbiased pronunciations by real people and in context.
- Guidelines for Creating Image Descriptions
- Anti Racist Audio Description
Submitting your mp3 file
These are instructions for active volunteers submitting your regular program assignment. If you are submitting an audition, follow the instructions in the email.
- Log into to the Volunteer Portal Dashboard.
- Upload your file by clicking the ” + New” at the top left.
- Important: If you do more than 1 program, you must navigate to the program’s directory on the left side and upload the appropriate files in the appropriate spot.
- Click “New File”
- Navigate to where you saved your file on your device and open. It my take a few minutes to upload.
- Confirm it is there by looking in that directory. You can double click the file to listen to make sure it’s correct.
- Don’t forget to log your hours!
FAQ
Episode Checklist
Use this checklist to ensure you are meeting our basic expectations. Note that this list is not comprehensive and more detailed requirements are outlined in other areas of this guide.
✔Read the intro and outro scripts.
✔ Bit rate 192 kbps or higher.
✔ Audio in .mp3 format. Note: the “mp3” extension is case sensitive, meaning “MP3”, “Mp3”, “mP3” will not be processed properly by our systems.
✔ Audio is the correct duration.
✔ Submit your volunteer hours.
✔ Verbally credit the authors.
✔ Audio is high quality and free from disruptive noises.
✔ Name your file correctly.
✔ Audio is uploaded into the correct folder on your account.
✔ Submit your file by the deadline. Aim for earlier incase you run into any issues.
What happens after you submit your episode?
NOTE: Video data is from 2020 and may be outdated.
Step 1: Turn in episode
You upload your completed mp3 episode into the Volunteer Portal.
Step 2: Queued for airing
Our automated system grabs it 30 minutes before airtime and puts it in the queue.
Step 3: Aired and published
Your episode is aired on broadcast, and converted into a podcast.
Step 4: Distribution
Your episode is published on Apple podcasts, Aftersight website, and more.
Step 5: People listen
Episode is repeated on broadcast and available as podcast until the next episode.
Being an Aftersight readers comes with perks! We offer a few different free learning opportunities to help you improve your voice-over skills for your reading for Aftersight and your own personal endeavors. We believe in supporting you to be the best you can be, even outside of your work with us.
- Volunteer Education Series includes regular sessions with experts over a variety of topics related to your volunteer work. See past presentations and sign up for future ones.
- Need 1×1 help? Recording and Voiceover help with an audio pro will be available every virtually. Make an appointment with Jonathan.
- Want to improve your voice-over skills? Aftersight is offering hands-on, in-depth classes throughout the year. Spots fill up fast, so sign up today
- Studio orientation: Complete our short studio training to learn how to use professional audio equipment. Once you complete this orientation, you can book our studios for free for your Aftersight readings at your leisure!
Reach out to alex@aftersight.org for more details.
Need help troubleshooting?
After searching for your answer in this documentation, please submit a help ticket so we can best assist you.