[Nfbf-l] audio description services for teachers & families

[Lappland]

FYI - hope this might be useful to someone.

Carrie Gilmer, President
National Organization of Parents of Blind Children A Division of the
National Federation of the Blind NFB National Center: 410-659-9314 Home
Phone: 763-784-8590 
carrie.gilmer at gmail.com 
www.nfb.org/nopbc

Dear parents, teachers, and students,

Most people know of us as a captioning company - it's even in our name,
CaptionMax. What you may not know is that we're also a major provider of
educational audio description services. We have described thousands of
hours of television and  educational DVD programs, enabling blind
students pre-K through 12 to be able to access the media as effectively
as their sighted peers. Many of our programs are also of interest to
post-secondary students and adults.

However, many consumers and teachers are not aware that the description
is there, waiting to be used. We're reaching out to you, both to raise
awareness and to seek your feedback on our work. In this note, you will
find all the information you need to begin using CaptionMax-described
programming today.

DESCRIBED TELEVISION PROGRAMMING

All you have to do is turn it on!  Don't know how to do that? Then
please read on.

There are lots of audio described programs available on television. Most
PBS programs are described, including children's programs,
documentaries, and other series. Activating audio description (AD) will
make those programs easier to follow and enjoy.

If you're not sure how to activate audio description (AD) on your
television, try our handy web guide:

    * Overview of AD:
http://www.captionmax.com/en/viewer-info/for-teachers/AD
    * Activating AD on your TV:
http://www.captionmax.com/en/viewer-info/for-teachers/AD/TV

Follow the menu links for additional hints on activating AD on cable,
VCRs, and DVDs.

Check here for a list of television series that we describe:
http://www.captionmax.com/en/viewer-info/shows-we-describe

In addition to series, we also do lots of documentaries and other
programs. Check your PBS schedule for a list of described programming.

DESCRIBED DVDS

CaptionMax is the largest producer of audio description services for
non-broadcast educational media. Here's a list of the programs we've
described so far, and we're adding to it every week!
http://www.captionmax.com/en/viewer-info/captionmax-shows/UAM-accessible
-med
ia-list

One of the coolest features of our educational DVDs is that the menus
are auto-described. That means all you have to do is pop in the DVD, and
you'll start hearing the menu options. You can control everything with
the forward and enter buttons. A feature we are especially proud of is
expanded description, in which the video freezes to allow more detailed
description of an object or scene.

"How do I get these programs?" you may ask. There are several ways:

FREE LOAN: If you're a parent or student, visit our page
(http://www.dcmp.org/Categories/categories2.aspx?C=CAPTIONMAX
) at the
Described Captioned Media Program (DCMP) website. Once you register on
the DCMP site, you can obtain via download or DVD (including free
shipping) any of our programs. There are just two requirements to be
eligible for the
service: 1.) You must be a parent of, teacher of, or student with a
hearing or vision loss, and 2.) You must fill out a short evaluation
form after use. To register visit DCMP's registration page:
http://www.dcmp.org/Register.aspx

PURCHASE: If you're a teacher or librarian, we encourage you to follow
the links
(http://www.captionmax.com/en/viewer-info/captionmax-shows/UAM-accessibl
e-me
dia-list) on our website to the program distributors, where you can buy
and learn about our described programs and more.

If you've listened to one of our described programs, please send us a
note and let us know what you think!
http://www.captionmax.com/en/contact-captionmax
. We read every email
that comes in, and answer every question. We are also proud to say that
consumer feedback is an integral part of how we do what we do. Please
send us your thoughts and input, so that we may be able to better serve
you.

/Max/

Please remember to support the Florida Outreach Center for the Blind by donating a dollar or more to help fund our worthy programs. Send your tax deductible
gift to:
Florida Outreach Center for the Blind
1280 N. Congress Ave., Ste-108
West Palm Beach, FL 33409
Or use the Pay Pal link on our web site at:
www.flblindcenter.org
Thank you!