Biography
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Michele Spitz of Woman of Her Word is an accessibility film and media producer, narrator, public speaker, educator, consultant and longtime philanthropist most passionate about advocating for media accessibility and audience inclusion. Michele is dedicated to selectively funding audio description post production accessibility grants to ensure that media content is equally accessible to low vision and blind audiences. She has 12+ years experience of producing, narrating, consulting and project managing audio description assets for film, broadcast, digital media, educational content, film festivals, museums, exhibits and live events. Woman of Her Word funds audio description production for a significant percentage of the 150 hand selected media projects to date with which her company has chosen to be aligned. Michele promotes media accessibility awareness and audience inclusion through ongoing public speaking engagements, thought provoking panels and educational settings.
She introduced and conducted RespectAbility’s Audio Description Summer Labs for professionals with disabilities in media, and additionally guest lectured for NYU Tisch Film School, Emerson College Department of Visual and Media Arts, Montclair University Media & Disability Department, to name a few.
A partial list of Michele's participation in panels and presentations include the Tribeca Film Festival, Sundance Film Festival, Gotham, DOC NYC, IDA Getting Real Conference, Film Independent, New York Film Festival, MVFF, ReelAbilities NY & LA, Women in Film Los Angeles (WIF LA) and New York Women in Film & Television (NYWIFT). Woman of Her Word has provided media accessibility consulting expertise for the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, PBS, SAG-AFTRA, Film Festival Alliance and multiple distribution outlets. She is currently
the media accessibility consultant for the Tribeca Film Festival Traffic Department and has awarded an Annual Woman of Her Word Tribeca Film Festival Audio Description Production Grant allocated to a festival film of her choice for the past four years. Michele was the catalyst having consulted with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences that resulted in the first ever Audio Described Broadcast of the 93rd Academy Awards, as well as initiated the template for archiving audio described film and media content for the Academy Library (Margaret Herrick Library).
Woman of Her Word was the first to initiate and fund British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) multiyear scholarships for students with disabilities enrolled in Feirstein Graduate School of Cinema. Michele
has implemented annual finishing film accessibility production grants for NYWIFT, WIF LA, ReelAbilities NY and also funded assistive audience technology for theater and performing arts venues. She inaugurated, funded and produced five consecutive years of the audio described ceremonies for the Media Access Awards, making the virtual event platform and eventual PBS broadcast equally accessible to all audiences. Michele also consulted the Society of Voice Artists and Sciences (SOVAS) Awards aligning the first ever Audio Description Narration Award categories in tandem with curating and moderating an Audio Description Panel for their annual
Woman of Her Word's unique business model is dedicated to working very closely with every film and media client to enlist their participation and commitment in advocating and promoting their film production’s accessibility assets and furthermore advise on implementing and incorporating the audio description deliverables throughout all distribution and exhibition platforms for the shelf life of the film. For many years, she traveled extensively between San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York to ascertain and merge East and West Coast media and cultural arts accessibility philosophies and methodologies. Michele intends to extend her travels to the UK periodically to further her knowledge in international media, arts and culture accessibility strategies.
Highlights of Michele’s portfolio include films such as Amy Poehler's Lucy & Desi, Katy Holmes' Happy Hours, Gene Wilder, ABC News Barbara Walters, Dan Rather, and music documentaries featuring The Beatles, The
Bee Gees, Billy Preston, Carole King and James Taylor, Pavarotti, and Liza Minnelli. Woman of Her Word’s catalog of media productions can be found on IMDb and her company website.
Woman of Her Word’s pledge is unwavering in the pursuit for inclusion in media and the arts; her presence is a unifying force resulting in equality for the communities that she serves. Michele’s press coverage includes The Hollywood Reporter, Variety, Forbes, NBC and multiple other outlets.
"My life's work is my heart's work."
- Michele Spitz -