For Immediate Release
Contact: Kelly Gasque, Executive Assistant
Phone: (202) 467-5081
E-mail: [email protected]
WASHINGTON, February 24, 2017 – Members of the American Council of the Blind (ACB) will attend a reception at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in celebration of a new audio-described tour of two key museum areas, the Hall of Witness and the Hall of Remembrance. Thanks to ongoing generous support from the Aid Association for the Blind of the District of Columbia, ACB’s Audio Description Project received full funding for the development of this tour. Following the reception and a short presentation on the new audio guide by museum staff, visitors will launch this new tour.
“We are thrilled to offer audio recording for our visitors who are blind or have low vision,” says Dana Carroll, Director of Museum Services. “This self-guided tool is another way for our visitors to experience the museum and learn about the lessons of the Holocaust. We already offer audio-descriptive tours of our permanent exhibition. With this new technology, they’ll get to hear, at their own pace, about the significance of the Hall of Witness and Hall of Remembrance, two important architectural features of the museum that preserve Holocaust memory.”
The opening reception is designed not only to celebrate accessibility, but especially to thank members of the Aid Association for the Blind of the District of Columbia for their continued interest and support in promoting audio description. The U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum is excited to showcase the results of the year-long partnership with ACB’s Audio Description Project, and graciously agreed to jointly host the reception and tours.
“Audio description uses words that are succinct, vivid, and imaginative to convey the visual image from television, film, DVDs, theater, museums and many other settings,” stated Eric Bridges, Executive Director of the American Council of the Blind. “For too long, museums have been off-limits to people who are blind — without audio description and few tactile elements, blind visitors did not feel welcomed. That’s changing in government facilities and private museums. They have discovered that an inclusive approach to outreach will allow the institutions to share their mission with new audiences. But moreover, it’s the right thing to do — history is for everyone.”
The American Council of the Blind is the largest consumer-based organization of blind and visually impaired individuals advocating for the rights of all blind people. Comprised of more than 70 affiliates across the United States, the organization is dedicated to making it possible for blind and visually impaired people to participate fully in all aspects of society. For more information, visit www.acb.org; phone (202) 467-5081; or visit us on Twitter @ACBNational, or Facebook at www.facebook.com/AmericanCounciloftheBlindOfficial.