Alexandria, Va., July 10, 2024 - The Audio Description Project (ADP) is pleased to announce the 2024 winners of the ADP Awards. The awards honor people and organizations that make outstanding contributions to the quality, availability, and understanding of audio description. This year’s winners span entertainment, education, and information and recognize achievement in digital access and live delivery of AD across a range of platforms and venues. The ADP applauds the dedication to and advancement of inclusion exhibited by the award recipients. Access the award announcement video here: https://youtu.be/udspayg29s8. The winners are: Media: Jehovah’s Witnesses initiated an audio description program over the last four years. Staff and volunteers work with members of the blindness community throughout the AD creation process, and audio description is available in more than 100 languages. Performing Arts (Organization): The Audio-Description Learning Network (ADLN) is a consortium of four Philadelphia-area theatres: People's Light, 1812 Productions, Hedgerow, and the Wilma. The ADLN trains diverse audio describers who are teamed with members of the blindness community so they can get immediate feedback and learn from their future patrons. Performing Arts (Individual): Beth Crabb has been a member of the audio description team at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center in Nashville since its inception in 2004. She prepares meticulously for each performance she describes, documenting the music, costumes, set design, and cast of characters, and she’s happy to meet with patrons to answer questions.. Special Achievement in Performing Arts: Think Outside the Vox works to revolutionize diversity and accessibility in the arts. Based in the Boston area, Vox trains culturally competent describers from diverse communities. Teamed with blind trainers and experts, the describers learn the best practices for creating AD for live theatre and museums. Public Sector:The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism developed Alcohol and Your Brain, a module that educates young audiences about alcohol’s affects on the brain. The audio described version will be included in NIH Section 508 accessibility trainings to demonstrate effective AD and captioning. It has been viewed more than 3,400 times on YouTube. Dr. Margaret Pfanstiehl Memorial Award for Audio Description Research and Development: Kyle Sisk, Chief Technology Officer at the Described and Captioned Media Program, has led a number of technological advances, including the development of multiple accessible platforms. He introduced a process that ensures audio description script accuracy during recording and editing and then feeds into an interactive transcript feature. Congratulations to all the 2024 ADP Award recipients!

July is Disability Pride Month, an annual recognition honoring the history, achievements, and experiences of the disability community. Disability Pride Month is celebrated in July to mark the anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)—the landmark legislation that broke down barriers to inclusion in society. As we celebrate Disability Pride Month, let us recognize the achievements of individuals who are blind and work together to create a more accessible and inclusive society for all. Thank you for your support of the American Council of the Blind (ACB) and our mission to increase the independence, security, equality of opportunity, and quality of life for all people who are blind or have low vision.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – The American Council of the Blind (ACB) is excited to announce that registration for this year’s National Conference and Convention is now open through June 17th. ACB’s Convention is a hybrid event, with the in-person portion taking place July 5th-12th at the Hyatt Regency Riverfront Hotel in Jacksonville, FL. ACB’s National Conference and Convention connects individuals who are blind, low vision, and allies of this community through programming that educates on recent developments in accessibility, ways to advocate for improved quality of life, and activities coordinated by ACB members. Exhibitors selling technologies, products, and services to the blindness and low vision community are available onsite and online in the Exhibit Hall, and tours designed to explore and experience the Jacksonville area occur daily. Held in a hybrid format for the third consecutive year, those who participate in ACB’s national conference and convention have a variety of ways to enjoy programming, from dynamic in-person presentations, to interactive Zoom meetings for registered participants, over the ACB Media skill on Alexa-enabled devices, and through streaming on the ACB Media network. Continuing education units (CEUs) and other professional development opportunities are also available. Interested in attending? Registration is now open to the general public! There are two ways to register: online at www.members.acb.org or via telephone by calling (651) 428-5059. Registration is $60 for those who are not members of ACB; members pay $45. If you are not a member, you can join ACB as a member at large for $10. To become a member, visit the ACB Members site and click “Join ACB,” or call (612) 332-3242. Join us at the 2024 convention for an exciting week of programming, exhibitions, tours, and more! Learn more at www.ACBConvention.org. ACB is thankful for JPMorgan Chase & Company’s generous Diamond sponsorship of announcements related to the 2024 National Conference and Convention. About the American Council of the Blind The American Council of the Blind is a national member-driven organization representing Americans who are blind and visually impaired. For more than 60 years, ACB has become a leader in national, state, local, and even international advocacy efforts. With over 60 affiliates, ACB strives to increase independence, security, equality of opportunity, and to improve the quality of life for all people who are blind and visually impaired. For more information, visit www.acb.org.

Alexandria, Va., May 16, 2024 – Today ACB celebrates Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD), an international day to raise awareness of the importance of digital access and inclusion for people with disabilities. ACB continues to advocate for advancements in digital accessibility across all industries and levels of government, including: Enhancing the accessibility of websites and mobile apps under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act Creating enforceable standards for accessible medical diagnostic equipment and making patient-facing applications more inclusive Expanding accessibility requirements to stay up-to-date with new technologies—from online streaming to video conferencing to artificial intelligence Ensuring equal access to in-person and absentee voting Reducing burdens for required digital forms when traveling with service animals Advocacy is a team effort, and we thank our partners in the disability community for their work in ensuring that the whole digital environment is fully accessible for all.

Alexandria, Va., May 4, 2024 – The American Council of the Blind (ACB) announces that the Audio Description People’s Choice Award opens for nominations on May 4, 2024. The winners will be revealed during the 2024 ACB Audio Description Awards Gala, which will take place virtually on Thursday, November 14th, at 7:30 PM Eastern Time. The Audio Description Awards Gala celebrates inclusivity and recognizes the entertainment industry’s role in providing access to film and television through audio description for people who are blind or have low vision. The Audio Description People’s Choice Award, now in its third year, is a unique opportunity for fans to get involved by showing their support for the audio description they love the most. “In the first two years of the Audio Description People’s Choice Award, more than a thousand people participated. This is a unique opportunity for all AD fans to support the shows, writers, and voice talent they count on to make media more accessible,” said Scott Thornhill, ACB Executive Director. The selection process for the Audio Description People’s Choice Award takes place in two phases. First, ACB will accept nominations in two categories, film and series, from May 4 through May 19. Second, the top titles in each category will compete for the grand prize during a two-week voting period from July 20 to August 4. Nominee selections must follow the nomination criteria to be eligible for the finalist vote. The Audio Description People’s Choice Award nomination form can be found at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/AD-Awards-Nominations-2024. To vote by phone, call 202-559-2042. Join us at the 2024 Audio Description Awards Gala for an exciting evening featuring celebrity guests as we applaud audio description! Learn more at www.ADAwardsGala.org. About the American Council of the Blind The American Council of the Blind is a national member-driven organization representing people who are blind or have low vision. For more than 60 years, ACB has been a leader in national, state, local, and international advocacy efforts. With 68 affiliates, ACB strives to increase independence, security, equality of opportunity, and to improve the quality of life for all people who are blind or have low vision. For more information, visit www.acb.org.

The American Council of the Blind (ACB) and athenahealth, Inc., a leading provider of network-enabled software and services for medical groups and health systems nationwide, are collaborating to design and build more inclusive and accessible experiences for blind and visually impaired patients as part of the company’s broader digital accessibility commitments. The collaboration expands athenahealth’s approach to accessibility around its patient-facing applications to be more inclusive for millions of patients. Read the press release from athenahealth here: https://www.athenahealth.com/press-releases/athenahealth-and-the-american-council-of-the-blind-collaborate-to-expand-digital-accessibility-for-athenahealth-patients

The Audio Description Project (ADP) and the Described and Captioned Media Program (DCMP) are proud to announce the winners of the 2024 BADIE awards. Celebrating the Benefits of Audio Description In Education, the contest invites students who are blind or have low vision to watch an audio described (AD) video and write an essay evaluating the quality and usefulness of the AD. This year’s winners are: Grand Prize Lyla Duffy, Washington Review of I Am Ruby Bridges Seniors (ages 16 to 21) First place: Charles Johnson, Washington Review of Little Bighorn: The Native American View Second place: Cai Tague, California Review of Vibrations Third place: Agatha Holloway, Washington Review of Getting a Job! For Students Who Are Blind and Visually Impaired: Introduction to Getting a Job! Juniors (ages 11 to 15) First place: Avett Maness, Ohio Review of Chip Taylor Communications Musical Moment Second place: Errion Gary, Ohio Review of I Am Ruby Bridges Third place: Zara Gandhi, Ontario, Canada Review of It's Okay To Be Smart: How Blind People See With Sound Sophomores (ages 7 to 10) First place: Emi Constandache, California Review of Star Wars, Episode 9 Second place: Deisy Jimenez, Ohio Review of Mary Fisher