<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"><head><meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 14 (filtered medium)"><style><!--
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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Hi everyone,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>I did the same thing when I was little. As Miss Susan said, I always needed a sighted person’s help when doing this, as the menus on the remote were inaccessible.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Chris<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> mdpobc-bounces@nfbnet.org [mailto:mdpobc-bounces@nfbnet.org] <b>On Behalf Of </b>SUSAN POLANSKY<br><b>Sent:</b> Monday, June 18, 2012 12:28 PM<br><b>To:</b> Maryland Parents of Blind Children List<br><b>Subject:</b> Re: [Mdpobc] Fwd: [nabs-l] Audio Description<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='color:black'>You just need to go through the menu of your TV, you should see a choice of Second Audio Programming [SAP], turn that on and you are done. When Jason was little we or the childcare provider would turn on the SAP for shows like "Arthur:.<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='color:black'>Susan T. Polansky<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'> "<a href="mailto:Wendynusba@yahoo.com">Wendynusba@yahoo.com</a>" <<a href="mailto:wendynusbaum@yahoo.com">wendynusbaum@yahoo.com</a>><br><b>To:</b> Maryland Parents of Blind Children List <<a href="mailto:mdpobc@nfbnet.org">mdpobc@nfbnet.org</a>> <br><b>Sent:</b> Saturday, June 16, 2012 8:28 AM<br><b>Subject:</b> Re: [Mdpobc] Fwd: [nabs-l] Audio Description</span><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div id=yiv1752106409><div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='color:black'>Does anyone know how to turn on the audio description? This post says several shows already have description but I don't know how to turn on this service.<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='color:black'>Wendy<br><br>Sent from my touch <o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt;background:white'><span style='color:black'><br>On Jun 15, 2012, at 6:50 PM, Trudy <span class=mark>Pickrel</span> <<a href="mailto:tlpickrel@hotmail.com" target="_blank">tlpickrel@hotmail.com</a>> wrote:<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='color:black'><br><br>Trudy L <span class=mark>Pickrel</span><o:p></o:p></span></p><div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='color:black'>President MD Parents Blind Children<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='color:black'>Owner TLC by the Lake poodles<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt;background:white'><span style='color:black'><br>Begin forwarded message:<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt;background:white'><b><span style='color:black'>From:</span></b><span style='color:black'> "Chris <span class=mark>Nusbaum</span>" <<a href="mailto:dotkid.nusbaum@gmail.com" target="_blank">dotkid.nusbaum@gmail.com</a>><br><b>Date:</b> June 15, 2012 5:25:20 PM EDT<br><b>To:</b> <<a href="mailto:mdpobc@nfbnet.org" target="_blank">mdpobc@nfbnet.org</a>>, <<a href="mailto:mdabs@nfbnet.org" target="_blank">mdabs@nfbnet.org</a>>, <<a href="mailto:troubleclark@gmail.com" target="_blank">troubleclark@gmail.com</a>>, <<a href="mailto:tlpickrel@hotmail.com" target="_blank">tlpickrel@hotmail.com</a>>, <<a href="mailto:cmdayrdh@aol.com" target="_blank">cmdayrdh@aol.com</a>>, <<a href="mailto:gary.legates@comcast.net" target="_blank">gary.legates@comcast.net</a>>, "Ninette Legates" <<a href="mailto:ninette.legates@comcast.net" target="_blank">ninette.legates@comcast.net</a>>, <<a href="mailto:mike@insightondisability.com" target="_blank">mike@insightondisability.com</a>><br><b>Subject:</b> <span class=mark><b>FW</b></span><b>: [nabs-l] Audio Description</b><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></blockquote><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt;background:white'><span style='color:black'><br><br>-----Original Message-----<br>From: <a href="mailto:nabs-l-bounces@nfbnet.org" target="_blank">nabs-l-bounces@nfbnet.org</a> <a href="mailto:[mailto:nabs-l-bounces@nfbnet.org]">[mailto:nabs-l-bounces@nfbnet.org]</a> On Behalf<br>Of David Andrews<br>Sent: Friday, June 15, 2012 6:05 AM<br>To: <a href="mailto:blindtlk@nfbnet.org" target="_blank">blindtlk@nfbnet.org</a><br>Subject: [nabs-l] Audio Description<br><br><br>Beginning July 1, ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC, plus the top five cable networks<br>will begin providing audio descriptions of some of their programming for<br>blind or sight-impaired viewers. The shows to be described range from ABC's<br>Modern Family to <span class=mark>CBS's</span> <span class=mark>NCIS</span> to Nickelodeon's Dora the Explorer to <span class=mark>USA's</span><br>Royal Pains.<br><br>For now, stations in the top 25 markets and cable systems with 50,000 or<br>more subs will be required to offer about four hours a week of the new<br>service. The number of stations and hours will gradually increase.<br><br>Starting July 1, the country's 21.5 million visually impaired people will be<br>able to enjoy TV more than ever before.<br><br>On that day, the Big Four broadcast networks and the top five-rated cable<br>networks will begin offering four hours a week of so-called video<br>descriptions that clue in blind and partially sighted viewers on what's<br>going on when the characters aren't talking. The descriptions, audible only<br>to viewers who want them to be audible, are squeezed in between the dialog.<br><br>Video descriptions have been part of<br>broadcasting, cable, home video, but never to the extent on TV as they will<br>be beginning next month.<br><br>It's not altruism driving the surge in<br>descriptions. They were mandated by Congress in the 21st Century<br>Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2010.<br><br>According to the <span class=mark>FCC's</span> implementing rules, the Big Four O&Os and affiliates<br>in the top 25 markets will have to air 50 hours each quarter - or roughly<br>four hours a week - of described programming.<br><br>Cable and satellite systems with at least 50,000 subscribers have to offer<br>the same amount of described programming for the top five-rated cable<br>networks - currently Disney, Nickelodeon, TBS, TNT and USA.<br><br>And with just weeks to go before the deadline, the described programming<br>plans of nine affected networks are shaping up.<br><br>ABC's plan is to provide descriptions on some of its Tuesday and Wednesday<br>shows. This summer, those shows include sitcoms Last Man Standing, The<br>Middle, <span class=mark>Suburgatory</span>, Modern Family, Happy Endings and Don't Trust the B----<br>in Apt. 23.<br><br>In the fall, ABC will likely include most of those shows and new sitcom The<br>Neighbors and new drama Nashville.<br><br>CBS has been providing audio descriptions for several programs since 2002.<br>The lineup is <span class=mark>CSI</span>, Criminal Minds, <span class=mark>NCIS</span>, <span class=mark>NCIS</span>: <span class=mark>Los</span> <span class=mark>Angeles</span>, plus movies and<br>miniseries.<br><br>NBC has broadcast a slew of shows with<br>descriptions, including the Betty White reality show Off Their Rockers,<br>drama Grimm and the summer series Saving Hope. Described sitcoms include The<br>Office, Up All Night and Parks and Recreation.<br><br>At Fox, The <span class=mark>Simpsons</span> has been audio described for several years. Beyond the<br>animated sitcom, Fox isn't prepared to say what it would be offering.<br><br>Disney Channel's described shows will include hit sitcoms Jessie, A.N.T.<br>Farm and the animated Phineas and <span class=mark>Ferb</span>.<br><br>Nickelodeon will offer descriptions for some of its biggest hits, like the<br>long-running animated Dora the Explorer and preschool educational show Team<br><span class=mark>Umizoomi</span>.<br><br>Turner Broadcasting will have described movies as well as TV series. Among<br>the series: <span class=mark>TNT's</span> The Closer and <span class=mark>TBS's</span> Tyler Perry comedies House of Payne<br>and For Better or Worse.<br><br><span class=mark>USA's</span> described programs will include off-network shows <span class=mark>NCIS</span> and Law &<br>Order: <span class=mark>SVU</span>, plus originals like Royal Pains and Suits.<br><br>"My hope is that more and more networks will embrace these accessibility<br>initiatives," says Joel Snyder, president of Audio Description Associates.<br>He serves as director of the American Council of the <span class=mark>Blind's</span> audio<br>description project and is an adviser to the FCC.<br><br>"If they do it right, they'll find ways to make money from it. If they make<br>their shows accessible to these folks, there is a bigger market for<br>advertisers to sell their products."<br><br>For the most part, video-described programs won't include live shows or<br>news. The networks, which are providing most of this content to their<br>affiliates, need time to write description scripts for voice artists to<br>record.<br><br>"It takes longer to get that done than closed captioning," says one network<br>executive. "It also requires us to look at how our post-production schedules<br>are set up. We have to work very closely with the folks at the<br>post-production houses to make sure we get the programming to our vendors<br>with sufficient time to get the video description correct."<br><br>Producing the descriptions costs between $2,000 to $4,000 per hour.<br><br>The networks and some associations for the blind are helping to ensure that<br>people with vision problems know that descriptions are coming.<br><br>"It's great for the networks to comply, but what's more important is getting<br>the information out to folks," says Helena Berger, <span class=mark>EVP</span>-COO of the American<br>Association of People with Disabilities. <br>She is also a member of <span class=mark>Comcast</span>-<span class=mark>NBCUniversal's</span> joint diversity council.<br><br>"What we can do on our end at <span class=mark>AAPD</span> is to use our communication channels,<br>like our newsletter, our website and social media to get the word out to the<br>community."<br><br>Some of the networks are creating logos and audio tones so that people with<br>vision problems know when a program has audio descriptions. So far, there<br>isn't an industry standard.<br><br>And TV listing providers like Tribune Media Services will provide data to<br>programming services to let them know if a program is audio-described. Then,<br>it's up to individual cable systems to add symbols or sounds to their<br>on-screen listings.<br><br>These described programs are the culmination of a 12-year battle by the FCC<br>and groups such as the Audio Description Institute. They thought they had<br>won the battle in 2000 when the FCC adopted rules similar to the 2010 act,<br>but a court agreed with broadcasters that the agency had overstepped its<br>authority.<br><br>Now backed by law, the new FCC rules gradually expand the description<br>obligations to other TV stations. By July 1, 2015, major network affiliates<br>in the top 60 markets will have to broadcast the descriptions. The FCC may<br>require additional stations to air descriptions at a rate of 10 markets a<br>year if it deems the cost is reasonable.<br><br>According to broadcasters, it costs stations anywhere from $10,000 and<br>$25,000 to install the gear necessary to handle the extra audio channel.<br><br>Just because someone has a disability doesn't mean they don't want to be<br>included in life," <br>says Debra <span class=mark>Ruh</span>, chief marketing officer at <span class=mark>SSB</span> Bart Group, a firm that helps<br>companies make their computer services and websites fully compliant and<br>accessible to people with disabilities. "Part of participating in life is<br>being able to experience television. TV is a very important part of our<br>culture."<br><br><br><br><br>_______________________________________________<br>nabs-l mailing list<br><a href="mailto:nabs-l@nfbnet.org" target="_blank">nabs-l@nfbnet.org</a><br><a href="http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org" target="_blank">http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org</a><br>To <span class=mark>unsubscribe</span>, change your list options or get your account info for<br>nabs-l:<br><a href="http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/dotkid.nusbaum%40gmail.c" target="_blank">http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/dotkid.nusbaum%40gmail.c</a><br>om<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></blockquote><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='color:black'>3I4H<</span><span style='font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:black'>�</span><span style='color:black'>Q</span><span style='font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:black'>���</span><span style='color:black'>q</span><span style='font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:black'>�</span><span style='color:black'>0</span><span style='font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:black'>��</span><span style='color:black'>D</span><span style='font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:black'>��</span><span style='color:black'>5-<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></blockquote><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='color:black'>_______________________________________________<br>Mdpobc mailing list<br><a href="mailto:Mdpobc@nfbnet.org" target="_blank">Mdpobc@nfbnet.org</a><br><a href="http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/mdpobc_nfbnet.org" target="_blank">http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/mdpobc_nfbnet.org</a><br>To <span class=mark>unsubscribe</span>, change your list options or get your account info for Mdpobc:<br><a href="http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/mdpobc_nfbnet.org/wendynusbaum%40yahoo.com" target="_blank">http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/mdpobc_nfbnet.org/wendynusbaum%40yahoo.com</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></blockquote></div></div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt;background:white'><span style='color:black'><br>_______________________________________________<br>Mdpobc mailing list<br><a href="mailto:Mdpobc@nfbnet.org">Mdpobc@nfbnet.org</a><br><a href="http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/mdpobc_nfbnet.org" target="_blank">http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/mdpobc_nfbnet.org</a><br>To <span class=mark>unsubscribe</span>, change your list options or get your account info for Mdpobc:<br><a href="http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/mdpobc_nfbnet.org/sepolansky%40verizon.net" target="_blank">http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/mdpobc_nfbnet.org/sepolansky%40verizon.net</a><br><br><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div></div></div></body></html>