Description Key for Educational Media

The DCMP is a unique educational accessible media resource serving the United States and its territories. DCMP services are designed to support and improve the academic achievement of students who are blind, visually impaired, deaf, hard of hearing, or deaf-blind. Visit the DCMP Web site to learn about the only collection of free-loan accessible media, the only database of accessible media available for purchase, the only guidelines for educational description and captioning, and the only training and feedback for beginning description agencies. In addition, the DCMP is the premiere resource for educational description and captioning information, providing its own clearinghouse along with a gateway to additional resources provided by partners and collaborators.

(Read the DCMP Mission and Vision Statement on the “About Us” section of the DCMP Web site.)

2008 marks the Golden Anniversary of this federally supported program. Visit DCMP@Fifty to read an article detailing the history of the program, a time line highlighting important events in accessible media history, and to access various resources for people interested in learning more about the program.

AFB is a national nonprofit that, for 87 years, has been expanding possibilities for people with vision loss by setting trends and devising innovative initiatives. AFB’s priorities include broadening access to technology, elevating the quality of information and tools for the professionals who serve people with vision loss, and promoting independent and healthy living for people with vision loss by providing them and their families with relevant and timely resources. AFB’s work in these areas is supported by the strong presence the organization maintains in Washington, D.C., ensuring the rights and interests of people with vision loss are represented in our nation’s public policies.

In addition to its New York City headquarters and Public Policy Center in Washington, D.C., AFB maintains offices in Atlanta; at the Center on Vision Loss in Dallas, TX; in Huntington, WV; and in San Francisco, CA. AFB is also proud to house the Helen Keller Archives and honor the over forty years that Helen Keller worked tirelessly with the AFB to expand possibilities for people with vision loss.

The NAD was established in 1880 by deaf leaders who recognized the right of the American deaf community to use sign language, to congregate on issues important to them, and to have its interests represented at the national level. These beliefs remain true to this day, with American Sign Language as a core value. As a nonprofit federation, the mission of the NAD is to preserve, protect, and promote the civil, human, and linguistic rights of deaf Americans. The advocacy scope of the NAD is broad, covering the breadth of a lifetime and impacting future generations in the areas of early intervention, education, employment, health care, technology, telecommunications, youth leadership, and more.

• Annemarie Cooke

  Vice President for Adminstration and SalesDeWitt & Associates
  Midland Park, NJ Annemarie Cooke's Quote: I gradually lost just about all of my central vision as a young adult. I have continued to watch videos, TV and movies. But it wasn’t until I saw my first audio-described movie that I realized how much I was missing regarding the visual elements on screen. I am delighted that kids who are blind and visually impaired will now be able to get the maximum educational benefit—not to mention, enjoyment—out of moving images shown in the classroom. No longer will they have to poke a friend and ask what’s happening on the screen. It was an honor to be part of the team that designed the standards and protocols for this great new step forward in the education of students with vision loss!

• David Dawson

  Executive DirectorAudio Information Network of Colorado
  Boulder, CO David Dawson's Quote: Quality descriptive video makes pictorial information available to the blind and visually impaired children who need audio information to fill in and complete the learning process. Quality video description opens avenues to learning that have previously been denied to children in an academic environment.

• Joy R. Efron, Ed.D.

  Los Angeles, CA Dr. Efron's Quote: If anyone questions the importance and value of media description for people who are blind or visually impaired, I request you to simply do the following: turn on a TV movie and listen to it from another room. You may be amazed as to the level of your confusion. This project has been very exciting and long overdue, as children with visual impairments desperately need and deserve access to information and education.

• Kay Alicyn Ferrell, Ph.D.

  Executive DirectorNational Center for Severe and Sensory Disabilities at UNC
  Greeley, CO Dr. Ferrell's Quote: Perhaps more than any other project I’ve been involved with, DCMP promises to realize my dream of a barrier-free curriculum for students with visual impairments. Thank you, NAD and AFB, for coming together. A special thank you to the expert panelists, whose vivid, vivacious, and voluminous discussion made sure that these guidelines will serve all students, all the time. You did good!

• Megan Finnerty

  Graduate Research AssistantUniversity of Northern Colorado
  Greeley, CO Megan Finnerty's Quote: Described educational media expands inclusive learning opportunities for youth who are blind or have low vision. This website provides resources that are key for ensuring access to quality described media.

• Jeremy M. Fisher

  Audio Description SupervisorCaptionMax
  Minneapolis, MN Jeremy Fisher's Quote: Description can have a huge impact on a blind or low vision student’s understanding of a media presentation. Description can help clarify important images, shift a student’s focus from one subject to another, and fill in any number of details the sighted audience takes for granted. If the media is described, providing this service in the classroom is as simple as pressing a button.

• Kelly Gorski

  Communications EditorDCMP
  Spartanburg, SC Kelly Gorski's Quote: The Description Key is a milestone, an essential piece of the accessibility puzzle as it relates to education. In order to provide equal access to students who are blind or visually impaired, description offers an unmatched gateway to help all educational professionals meet the need for and recognize the right of equality. Our students deserve the best, and description helps us provide that.

• Bryan Gould, M.A.

  Project Manager/DescriberWGBH
  Boston, MA Bryan Gould's Quote: Video description is essential to making educational multimedia accessible to students who have trouble seeing the screen. When high-quality descriptions are available, blind and visually impaired students are able to study and review material independently, providing access on par with their sighted classmates.

• Laurel J. Hudson, Ph.D.

  Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments; Adjunct Professor
  Decatur, GA Laurel Hudson's Quote: Providing access to educational media is not only mandated by law; it’s the right thing to do! This project will guide us to do it well.

• Terry Maggoire, M.Ed.

  Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments/Parent of a Child with a Visual ImpairmentBoston, MA Terry Maggoire's Quote: Having guidelines for the description of visual media in education is an important piece of accessing the curriculum for students with visual impairments. Only with true access to the curriculum can our students succeed on equal ground. This is one more step toward equal access.

• Betsy L. McGinnity, M.Ed.

  Coordinator of Information ServicesPerkins School for the Blind
  Boston, MA Betsy McGinnity's Quote: This was a very exciting project in which to participate. When classroom teachers incorporate more media into their courses, learning can become more exciting and concepts can be more readily comprehended. There is a real danger, however, that students who are blind or visually impaired experience less access to the materials rather than enhanced access. I think the video examples make the guidelines much easier to understand and apply. If the media is described appropriately, it gives these students a level “learning” field, and that is a very exciting outcome.

• Cyral Miller, M.P.A.

  Director of OutreachTexas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired
  Austin, TX Cyral Miller's Quote: Recently, a teacher of students with visual impairments told me how the paraprofessional in a third grade class sits with her student who is blind during movies so she can describe the action. “He always wants to know why people are laughing…there’s so much that goes on other than what he can hear.” To get the description, this student now sits apart from the class, with an adult assistant. How much more normal and educational that child’s experiences will be when he can get media that is described by a quality process following these new guidelines. He’ll be able to participate with his peers and get accurate and unobtrusive description that is thought-over and appropriate. I’m really excited at the potential!

• Martin Monson

  Graduate AssistantUniversity of Northern Colorado
  Greeley, CO Martin Monson's Quote: This was an amazing project to work on. The knowledge and experience of the expert panel on this topic is unparalleled. As more and more curriculum information is presented to school-age students in a visual-only medium, the guidelines and recommendations produced by this panel will be of the utmost value to those providing audio description.

• Mary Ann Siller, M.Ed.

  National Project Manager, Professional DevelopmentAmerican Foundation for the Blind
  Dallas, TX Mary Ann Siller's Quote: Without equal access to instructional materials, students who are blind or visually impaired will be left out. Finally there is a resource for media producers and media describers. Media producers will have a guide with examples to help them understand how to make their curriculum accessible, and describers will have a manual to follow to improve their products. Children who are blind or visually impaired will now enjoy the same curricular information as their sighted peers. AFB is proud to have been part of this national project with the NAD and DCMP.

• Joel Snyder

  President and C.E.O.Audio Description Associates
  Tacoma Park, MD Joel Snyder's Quote: Audio describers use words that are succinct, vivid, and imaginative to convey the visual image that is not fully accessible to a segment of the population—and not fully realized by the rest: sighted folks who see but who may not observe. So it can be an important communication tool for everyone. Audio description makes picture books and videos accessible to children who have low vision or are blind and helps develop more sophisticated language skills for all kids. A picture is worth 1000 words? Maybe. But the audio describer might say that a few well-chosen words can conjure vivid and lasting images.

• Bill Stark

  Project DirectorDCMP
  Spartanburg, SC Bill Stark's Quote: The mission that drives DCMP is one of inclusiveness for all students and assurance that they have an equal opportunity for success. Along with the Captioning Key, the Description Key exists as a vital “how to” guide for those charged with making media accessible.

• Dean O. Stenehjem, Ed.D.

  SuperintendentWashington State School for the Blind
  Vancouver, WA Dr. Stenehjem's Quote: Helen Keller’s quote, “Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much,” is perfect to describe the work done by the panel on establishing guidelines for description. These guidelines will be a huge benefit to improving not only described media, but also for assisting in important factors when it comes to accessible/usable online learning, transcription, etc. I don’t know if we truly realize the tremendous positive impact that these guidelines will have on future services.

• Thom Lohman

  Communications Serivces SpecialistDCMP
  Spartanburg, SC Thom Lohman’s Quote: This Key is an important step toward the ultimate goal of providing truly equal access to educational media. As DCMP’s primary description contact, I look forward to working with agencies and others on continuing the work that started with this landmark project.