Where Can I Find Description?
Focusing on sources of educational media available with Audio description.
Audio Description of educational media is still in its relative infancy in the U.S. and around the world. According to a 2008 survey of educational media producers [PDF], only 5% of currently available educational videos are available with audio description. Not surprisingly, another survey [PDF], conducted in the Spring of 2009 with TVIs, found that a majority of TVIs (55%) don’t use video in their classrooms, primarily because of the seeming lack of available accessible titles. (87% of those TVIs, however, indicated that they would begin using video if more content was available with audio description.)
These numbers are concerning, primarily because video use among educators has exploded in recent decades; recent statistics indicate that more than 90% of educators use video in their classrooms—many as often as once or more per week. Suffice it to say that there is a great deal of compelling content produced in video format for classroom use and, absent the availability of material that is accessible in one way or another, students with visual impairments are largely being left out.
For these reasons, LIL is intended to be a resource for TVIs, other educators, parents, administrators, and others in search of quality educational programming for use with their students with visual impairments.
The Described and Captioned Media Program
The first and only free-loan educational media service to provide accessible (captioned and Audio described) content directly to teachers, parents, and others who educate K–12 students who are blind, visually impaired, deaf, hard of hearing, or deaf-blind.
The DCMP collection of accessible media contains hundreds of titles available with audio description from a variety of curricular subjects. Any adult who works in some educational capacity with a qualifying student or students (see above) may register for a borrowing account with the DCMP.
(Note: There are a number of titles in the DCMP collection that are captioned-only, as the program was called the Captioned Media Program prior to 2006. The DCMP has prepared a guide to help members locate titles with Audio description [PDF].)
All services provided by the DCMP are completely free of charge, as the program is funded by the U.S. Department of Education.
Other Sources
Other sources of Audio described educational programming will be added to this page as they are identified.
Iowa Department for the Blind Library Services
**NOTE: You must be a qualifying, registered member of the library service to borrow described videos or other accessible materials.
New York Public Library Andrew Heiskell Braille and Talking Book Library
Offers VHS copies of movies and television programming produced with description. **NOTE: You must be a qualifying, registered member of the Talking Book or Braille service of the Andrew Heiskell Library.**
Perkins Braille & Talking Book Library
From Perkins: Video selections include comedy, romance, adventure, musicals and children’s films. A standard TV and VCR are all one needs to enjoy these audio described videos. Borrowers must be registered, active users of the Library. An online catalog is available.
Wisconsin Talking Book and Braille Library
Offers VHS copies of mostly PBS-produced materials and films. **NOTE: You must be an active, registered user of the Wisconsin Talking Book and Braille Library to borrow these materials.**