ACVREP’s vision and mission is that all individuals who are blind or have low vision receive services from highly qualified professionals so that they may achieve full inclusion and success in their professional and community life.

A key element of full inclusion in community life is access to quality audio description services in all venues.  It is for this reason that ACVREP committed to developing certification for Audio Describers and Audio Description Consultants.

In order to develop a certification, ACVREP assembles a subject matter expert committee to develop the quality standards and the certification exam.  We received many qualified applications for the Audio Description SME committee (“ADSME”).

ACVREP, in order to assemble the broadest and most comprehensive  engagement to develop the certification for audio describers and audio description consultants, has established the Audio Description Advisory Committee (“ADAC”)  that will amplify  the extensive expertise of the  Subject Matter Expert Committee.  The ADAC will be a resource to the ADSME and to ACVREP for input and feedback as the SME is developing the standards for both describers and consultants.

Each member of the ADAC has agreed to be available for outreach by members of the ADSME to provide input on various aspects of the standards as they are being developed by the SME.  The ADAC will also, as a committee, review the standards and provide feedback to the SME prior to the SME making recommendations to the ACVREP Board of Directors with a request to post the standards for general public comment. 

While it is anticipated that the ADSME and ADAC will concur on the recommendations of standards prior to the standards being referred to the ACVREP Board of Directors, the ADAC may provide direct input on the proposed standards to the ACVREP Board of Directors.  ACVREP President and CEO, Kathleen Zeider, who serves on the ACVREP Board of Directors, will serve, ex-officio, on both committees and will be the liaison to the full Board.

Both the ADSME and the ADAC will play essential roles in developing the certification for the benefit of all consumers who are blind or have low vision.  On February 19, 2019 at its regular meeting the ACVREP Board of Directors approved the following members of the ADSME and the ADAC:

Audio Description Subject Matter Expert Committee

• Kim Charlson, Massachusetts. Chair
• Joyce Adams, Virginia
• Bonnie Barlow, Colorado
• Anna Capezzara, California
• Colleen Connor, Virginia
• Deb Fels, Canada
• Laurie Pape Hadley, Minnesota
• Mary Hanks, Texas
• Emily Harding Williams, Canada
• Lisa Hoffman, New York
• Celia Hughes, Texas
• Deb Lewis, California
• Jolie Mason, California
• Wendy Sapp, Georgia
• Joel Snyder, Maryland
• Jan Stankus, Massachusetts
• Martin Wilde, Illinois

Audio Description Advisory Committee

• Elisabeth Axel, New York, Chair
• Martine Abel-Williamson, New Zealand
• Maria Asuncion Arrufat Perez de Zafra, Spain
• Everette Bacon, Utah
• Sarah Elizabeth Baghun, Michigan
• Jo Lynn Bailey-Page, Washington, D.C.
• Bernd Bernecke, Germany
• Rick Boggs, California
• Stasha Boyd, Florida
• Mathew Cock, U.K.
• Tom Conway, Hawaii
• Georgina Kleege, California
• Dawning Leung, Hong Kong
• Francisco Lima, Brazil
• Alison Myers, Australia
• Nurit Neustadt, Israel
• Bronwen Andrea Okwesa, Virginia
• Emanuelle Orange-Parent, Canada
• Carl Richardson, Massachusetts
• Paul Schroeder, Maryland
• Dan Spoone, Florida
• Jason Stark, South Carolina
• Alan Woods, Ohio

(This document was posted on April 3, 2019, and updated to include member locations on April 19, 2019)