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Raise Your Awareness – and Tune in for the Annual Audio Description Awards Gala!

By Tabitha Kenlon
Audio Description Project Coordinator

Welcome to the annual Audio Description Project (ADP) issue of “The ACB Braille Forum!” Most of the articles you’ll find here are related to audio description (also known as AD) and the work of the ADP, which is an initiative of the American Council of the Blind. The ADP was founded by Dr. Joel Snyder, is chaired by Kim Charlson and Carl Richardson, and is maintained by numerous volunteers and consultants, as well as one full-time ACB staff member. Everyone involved in the ADP is committed to raising the awareness and availability of high-quality audio description throughout entertainment, information, and education – anywhere you can find visual images, you should also be able to find audio description. AD is an important accessibility tool that helps improve the social inclusion of people who are blind or have low vision.

In the articles that follow, you’ll learn about some of the ADP’s subcommittees and advocacy efforts, including:

  • the ADP Awards, which recognize achievement in audio description by individuals and organizations in the arts and public sector;
  • the Benefits of Audio Description in Education (BADIE) essay contest for students;
  • legislation that has the potential to greatly increase the accessibility of audio description;
  • how the Section 508 committee is advocating for more AD within the public sector; and
  • why reliable audio description is so vital to live theatre performances.

But before you start reading, mark your calendars so you don’t miss the Audio Description Awards Gala. It will air on Tuesday, November 14, at 7:30 p.m. (ET). It’s a celebration of AD success stories, with awards for game changers in popular entertainment, video games, innovation, and many more. For the second year, we asked fans to vote for the AD they love the most, and this is when the results of the Audio Description People’s Choice Awards will be announced. The entire show will also air with complete Spanish translation.

Join a stellar group of entertainment professionals who are sighted, blind, or have low vision to applaud great audio description. While you’re waiting for the 14th, enjoy reading about the ADP, and visit our website (adp.acb.org) to learn even more!