ALEXANDRIA, VA (June 13, 2022) —The American Council of the Blind (ACB) proudly announces the 2022 Achievement Awards in Audio Description, an initiative of the Council’s Audio Description Project (ADP).
The awards will be presented on July 4 during ACB’s 61st annual conference and convention, held as a hybrid event from June 23 through July 8, 2022.
The Achievement Awards are given to individuals and/or organizations for outstanding contributions to the establishment and/or continued development of significant audio description programs. The Barry Levine Memorial Award for Career Achievement in Audio Description recognizes an individual for outstanding contributions to the field of audio description over an extended period of time, leading, inspiring, or providing exceptional service to others.
“Audio description uses words that are succinct, vivid, and imaginative to convey visual images from television, film, DVDs, theater, museums and many other settings,” Dan Spoone, President of the American Council of the Blind. “The organizations and individuals honored with these awards are among the leaders in description. They help make so many aspects of our culture accessible to people who are blind or have low vision; they deserve this special recognition.”
Recipients of the 2022 awards include:
- Achievement in Audio Description — Performing Arts/Individual: Maryfrances Evans, Executive Director, Iowa Radio Reading Information Service, Des Moines, IA
- Achievement in Audio Description — Performing Arts/Organization: Prime Stage Theatre with Nathan Ruggles, Audio Describer, Pittsburgh, PA
- Achievement in Audio Description — Media/Individual: Norma Jean Wick and Tony Ambrosio, Descriptive Video Works, Ontario, Canada
- Achievement in Audio Description — Visual Art/Museums/Visitor Centers/Individual: Holly Griesemer, Management and Program Analyst, National Park Service Midwest Region/Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance and Accessibility Programs, Omaha, NE
- Achievement in Audio Description — Visual Art/Museums/Visitor Centers/Organization: Wright Brothers National Memorial, Kill Devil Hills, N.C.
- Achievement in Audio Description — International: World Blind Union, Toronto, Canada
- Achievement in Audio Description — Public Sector: Centers for Disease Control Accessibility Program and Office of the Associate Director for Communications, Atlanta, GA
- Dr. Margaret R. Pfanstiehl Memorial Achievement Award for Research and Development – Audio Description: Dr. Elisa Perego and Dr. Christopher Taylor, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
- Barry Levine Memorial Award for Career Achievement in Audio Description: Mark Turits, Vice President, Captioning and Audio Description/Access Services, Paramount Global, New York, NY
For more information about the awards and the Audio Description Project please visit adp.acb.org, or contact Jo Lynn Bailey-Page at [email protected]
About the American Council of the Blind
The American Council of the Blind is a national grassroots consumer organization representing Americans who are blind and visually impaired. With 68 affiliates, ACB strives to increase the independence, security, equality of opportunity, and to improve the quality of life for all blind and visually impaired people.
Learn more by visiting www.acb.org.