[Nfbf-l] ALERT!--Coming Soon to a TV Near You!

[Patricia A. Lipovsky]

AFB DirectConnect Letterhead    

ALERT!--Coming Soon to a TV Near You!
July 1st Starts New Era in Described Programming:
See If Your Favorite Shows are on the List!
For further information, contact: 

Mark Richert, Esq.
Director, Public Policy, AFB
(202) 469-6833
MRichert at afb.net 

Beginning Sunday, July 1, the landmark provisions of the Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act (CVAA) requiring the nation's
leading networks to provide a combined total of at least 450 hours of described video programming per calendar quarter will come to life. Consumers are
encouraged to begin asking their local broadcast stations and cable providers about accessing the described programming to be provided. In addition, given
that information about which programs are to be described and the means for accessing description can sometimes be difficult to obtain, the Federal Communications
Commission (FCC) has recently launched a web resource to help consumers navigate program choices, the technical means for accessing description via digital
TV and/or cable set top box, and the FCC's complaint process for consumers to use to resolve network, station, or cable provider failure to put described
programming in consumers' hands. Visit the FCC's web resource at:

http://www.fccgov/encyclopedia/video-description

An independent but more memorable web address can also be used to be directed to the FCC's site; this more user friendly address is:

http://www.VideoDescription.info

Congratulations to the many advocates and organizations who have labored so long for this historic expantion of TV programming accessibility. Our community's
achievement in this area is an integral part of our ongoing effort to ensure that people with vision loss of all ages can enjoy full participation in American
life.