No one knows the importance of audio description (AD) better than students who rely on it to make filmed media accessible. The Benefits of Audio Description in Education (BADIE) blog and essay contest is an exciting chance for students on the blindness spectrum to share their thoughts about AD.
The Audio Description Project (ADP) and the Described and Captioned Media Program (DCMP) encourage students who are blind or have low vision to engage with audio description. We’ve expanded our essay contest into the BADIE Blog, with multiple opportunities to be published and win great prizes.
The BADIE Blog will accept entries from January through June 2025. Every month, selected submissions will appear on the blog. We’ll all enjoy a summer holiday in July and August, and winners (chosen from the published essays) will be announced at the beginning of the next school year.
How Students Can Submit Their Essays:
- Browse the free DCMP library at https://dcmp.org/.
- Watch any audio-described film (there are more than 6,000 educational titles to choose from!).
- Write an evaluation of the film’s audio description, commenting on the ways the audio description enhanced or detracted from your experience.
- Visit https://dcmp.org/learn/595-badie-contest-blog to read award-winning essays and submit your own entry. You’ll also find guidelines and prize details, tips on writing a good review, and information about how audio description is created.
Timeline and Prizes:
- Winners will be chosen from the essays submitted and published between January 1 and June 30, 2025.
- There will be first, second, and third place winners in each category, as well as a grand prize winner who will be awarded an iPad mini and invited to record an award presentation for the Audio Description Awards Gala.
- Teachers of first-place winners also receive prizes.
- Entries are accepted throughout the school year, so don’t delay! The last chance to be considered for publication and a prize for the 2024-25 school year is June 30, 2025.
Categories:
- Alternate Assessment – students with non-traditional matriculation records
- Sophomore – ages 7–10
- Junior – ages 11–15
- Senior – ages 16–21
Go to https://dcmp.org/learn/595-badie-contest-blog for complete details and to submit your entry!