Perhaps Brandon Cole's legacy as an award-winning accessibility consultant and advocate is best embodied in his handle, @superblindman. He was especially well-known for his contribution to video gaming. Read Descriptive Video Works post honoring Brandon. (Posted Jul 12)
On July 10, at the ACB Annual Conference in Jacksonville, FL, we announced the winners of the annual Audio Description Project Achievement Awards. Read the complete list of award winners! You can also watch the presentation on YouTube. Congrats to all the winners, and thanks for your contributions to audio description. (Posted July 10)
The Paris Olympic Games take place July 26 - August 11, and NBCUniversal continues its commitment to accessibility by providing more audio description than has been available for any previous Games. According to the press release, "All coverage on NBC, including daytime, primetime, and late night, and the Gold Zone whip-around show on Peacock, will feature audio description provided by Descriptive Video Works. In a first for a U.S. broadcaster, audio description services for NBC coverage will be provided in stereo, enhancing the quality of sound for viewers." For more details, access the full press release. (Posted Jul 2)
Celebrate Pride Month with over 150 movies about the joys, sorrows, challenges, and triumphs of the LGBTQ+ community. Feel free to let us know about titles we've missed. (Updated Jun 29)
Click here for films have audio description tracks, though they may not all be available right now. Click title links to find out if and where they are available for viewing.
We have created a list of titles featuring one or more persons with a disability. The titles may or may not be available to view at any particular time; but by clicking on each title, you will be advised of where you may find them. The pointer to Described Videos That Feature a Person with a Disability is in our Reference listing below. (List Updated on June 28)
Beginning July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2027, the top five national nonbroadcast networks will be HGTV, Hallmark, TLC, TNT, and TBS, with TNT replacing the History network (source). As always, Fox News, ESPN, and MSNBC have an exemption from the audio description rules due to airing primarily live and near-live programming. The 4 broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC) are unchanged. (Posted Jun 27)
ACB and the ADP extend our sincere condolences to the friends, family, and colleagues of Bill Stark, founder of the Described and Captioned Media Program (DCMP) and a leader in the development of accessible media. Bill helped make thousands of educational videos accessible to Deaf, hard-of-hearing, blind, visually impaired, and deaf/blind students. We are grateful for all he has done, and we are honored to partner with DCMP to continue the work Bill started and advanced so greatly. Read more about Bill's life and legacy. (Posted Jun 25)
The American Council of the Blind (ACB) announces that the Audio Description People’s Choice Award is open for nominations. The winners will be revealed during the 2024 ACB Audio Description Awards Gala, which will take place virtually on Thursday, November 14th, at 7:30 PM Eastern Time. The Audio Description Awards Gala celebrates inclusivity and recognizes the entertainment industry’s role in providing access to film and television through audio description for people who are blind or have low vision. The Audio Description People’s Choice Award, now in its third year, is a unique opportunity for fans to get involved by showing their support for the audio description they love the most.
“In the first two years of the Audio Description People’s Choice Award, more than a thousand people participated. This is a unique opportunity for all AD fans to support the shows, writers, and voice talent they count on to make media more accessible,” said Scott Thornhill, ACB Executive Director.
The selection process for the Audio Description People’s Choice Award takes place in two phases. First, ACB will accept nominations in two categories, film and series, from May 4 through May 19. Second, the top titles in each category will compete for the grand prize during a two-week voting period from July 20 to August 4.
Nominee selections must follow thenomination criteriato be eligible for the finalist vote; then use the People’s Choice Award nomination form. To vote by phone, call 202-559-2042. This fall, join us at the 2024 Audio Description Awards Gala for an exciting evening featuring celebrity guests as we applaud audio description! Learn more atwww.ADAwardsGala.org. (Posted May 4)
The Audio Description Project (ADP) and the Described and Captioned Media Program (DCMP) are proud to announce the winners of the 2024 BADIE awards. Celebrating the Benefits of Audio Description In Education, the contest invites students who are blind or have low vision to watch an audio described (AD) video and write an essay evaluating the quality and usefulness of the AD. This year’s winners are:
Grand Prize
Lyla Duffy, Washington
Review of I Am Ruby Bridges
Seniors (ages 16 to 21)
First place: Charles Johnson, Washington
Review of Little Bighorn: The Native American View
Second place: Cai Tague, California
Review of Vibrations
Third place: Agatha Holloway, Washington
Review of Getting a Job! For Students Who Are Blind and Visually Impaired: Introduction to Getting a Job!
Juniors (ages 11 to 15)
First place: Avett Maness, Ohio
Review of Chip Taylor Communications Musical Moment
Second place: Errion Gary, Ohio
Review of I Am Ruby Bridges
Third place: Zara Gandhi, Ontario, Canada
Review of It's Okay To Be Smart: How Blind People See With Sound
Sophomores (ages 7 to 10)
First place: Emi Constandache, California
Review of Star Wars, Episode 9
Second place: Deisy Jimenez, Ohio
Review of Mary Fisher
(Posted Apr 16)
It's just a number, but it's a BIG number! In the last seven months we have added another thousand described videos to our Master AD List. We are also up to over 4,000 videos available in languages other than English. Simply use the filter on the left hand side. (Posted Apr 16)