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)
What do a chef, a museum, and a very large telescope have in common? They were all recipients of a 2023 ADP Award! The ADP Awards recognize achievement in audio description in seven categories, including media, performing arts, museums, the public sector, and research and development. Nominations will be accepted from January 8 to April 21, 2024, and the winners will be announced in July at the American Council of the Blind’s Conference and Convention.
Who Can Submit a Nomination?
Everyone! You are welcome to nominate yourself, your local theatre or museum, or a well-known institution. Complete and submit the nomination form today.
Who Is Eligible for an Award?
Any person, organization, or institution that fits in one of the categories below and is involved in the research, development, production, design, creation, and/or delivery of great audio description is eligible.
What Are the Criteria?
The most important criterion is that the person or organization consistently develops, creates, and/or makes available high-quality audio description. But we encourage you to consider other vital accessibility and inclusivity elements, such as how easy it is to access the audio description; whether the website and/or physical spaces are accessible; and to what extent people on the blindness spectrum are involved in the creation of audio description, as writers, editors, sound engineers, or testers. You’ll want to include these details in your nomination.
What Are the Award Categories?
There are seven categories. The same individual or organization may not be nominated in multiple categories.
- Media
- Performing Arts
- Museums, Visual Art, Visitor Centers
- Public Sector (government agencies – federal, state, or local)
- International (people and organizations working primarily outside the US)
- Dr. Margaret Pfanstiehl Memorial Award for Audio Description Research and Development
- Barry Levine Memorial Award for Career Achievement in Audio Description
Submit Your Nomination!
Help us celebrate the people and organizations that are contributing significantly to the growth of audio description. Submit your nomination on-line before April 21, 2024
You know what dubbing is, and you know what audio description is. For a person with visual impairment, both must be available simultaneously to full enjoy a foreign film. Read this article by Dicapta CEO Maria-Victoria Diaz to learn more. (Posted Apr 9)
Events
OK, Country Music fans, Sunday's CMT Music Awards on CBS Sunday April 7th starting at 8pm (in each time zone) will be audio described. The show will also be carried live on Paramount+ AD, but the streamed version later should have it (though perhaps not right away...). (Posted Apr 4)
March is Women’s History Month, and we’re proud to honor Dr. Margaret Rockwell Pfanstiehl (pronounced FAN-STEEL), a lifelong advocate for people who are blind or have low vision and a pioneer in the fields of accessibility and audio description.
Margaret, who was almost entirely blind due to retinitis pigmentosa, was on the leading edge of the accessibility movement. In the early 1970s, after earning her Ed.D. degree, she garnered support and funding around the Washington, D.C., area and founded the Metropolitan Washington Ear, an organization that continues to provide services today.
In the early 1980s, Margaret and her husband Cody developed The Ear's audio description program, the first ongoing description service in the world. Margaret and Cody, along with a core group of Ear volunteers (including Dr. Joel Snyder, the founder of the Audio Description Project) began offering description at Washington's Arena Stage and other area theaters.
Margaret also worked to help make television accessible; for those efforts, she was awarded a national Emmy Award in 1990.
In 1991 Margaret took another innovative leap by launching one of the nation’s first dial-In newspaper services. Years later, she testified before the Federal Communications Commission about access for individuals with disabilities, which led to the requirement for broadcasters to adopt audio description technology through the secondary audio programming channel.
This Women’s History Month, please join ACB and the Audio Description Project in remembering and honoring the incredible impact Margaret had on the everyday lives of people on the blindness spectrum. If you’re interested in learning more about Margaret’s life and achievements, visit the Metropolitan Washington Ear’s website
The Academy for Certification of Vision Rehabilitation & Education Professionals (ACVREP) is establishing the Certified Audio Description Specialist (CAUDES) certification to formally recognize individuals who are proficient in audio description best practices across a wide range of formats and venues. Areas of practice include, but are not limited to, prerecorded media, performing arts, interactive displays, live events, museums, and education. The ACVREP is inviting the public to provide comments and feedback on the draft criteria for the CAUDES certification. View the criteria documents. The 60-day public comment period will close on March 31, 2024. Written comments can be submitted to comments@acvrep.org, putting CAUDES in the subject line. Related: Audio Description Specialist Certification With Kim Charlson & Lolly Lijewski(Outlook on Western Radio). (Updated Mar 29)
The transactional streaming service Vudu, owned by Fandango Media (which is in turn jointly owned by NBCUniversal and Warner Bros. Discovery), has changed its name to Fandango at Home. At least for now, the website is still vudu.com, which is pointed to from fandango.com (which is for movie tickets). We have changed the name in our navigation links (above). (Posted Mar 14)