The American Council of the Blind and its Audio Description Project are proud to announce the 2011 Audio Description Awards and the winners of the 2011 "Young Described Film Critic" contest, sponsored by ACB-ADP and the Described and Captioned Media Program.  Read on!

American Council of the Blind's Audio Description Project
Announces the 2011 Achievement Awards in Audio Description

WASHINGTON, July 19, 2011 - The American Council of the Blind (ACB) proudly announces the 2009 Achievement Awards in Audio Description, an initiative of the Council's Audio Description Project (ADP).

In conjunction with ACB's 50th annual conference and convention in Reno, NV, the awards were presented at a plenary session attended by over 1500 ACB members. The prestigious awards included:

Achievement in Audio Description - Media:  Harry A. Jessell, TVNewsCheck, Chatham, NJ

Achievement in Audio Description - Performing Arts:  Mimi Smith and Amaryllis Theatre Company, Philadelphia, PA

Achievement in Audio Description - Museums:  Rebecca McGinnis, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY

Achievement in Audio Description - International:  20th Century Fox International, London, England

Dr. Margaret R, Pfanstiehl Achievement in Audio Description - Research and Development:
       Joshua A. Miele, Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research Institute, San Francisco, CA

Barry Levine Memorial Award for Career Achievement in Audio Description:  Dr. Barry Cronin, Boston, MA

The Achievement Awards are made to individuals and/or organizations for outstanding contributions to the establishment and/or continued development of significant audio description programs. The Barry Levine Memorial Award for Career Achievement in Audio Description recognizes an individual for outstanding contributions to the field of audio description over an extended period of time, leading, inspiring or providing significant service to others.

"Audio Description uses words that are succinct, vivid, and imaginative to convey the visual image from television, film, DVDs, theater, museums and many other settings," stated Mitch Pomerantz, president of the American Council of the Blind. "The individuals and organizations honored with these awards are among the leaders in description. They help make so many aspects of our culture accessible to people who are blind or have low vision; they deserve this special recognition."

American Council of the Blind's Audio Description Project
Announces the 2011 "Young Described Film Critic"Awards

WASHINGTON, July 18, 2011 - The American Council of the Blind (ACB) is proud to reveal the winners of the 2011 "Young Described Film Critic" Awards, a "Listening Is Learning" initiative of the Council's Audio Description Project (ADP) and the Described and Captioned Media Program (DCMP).

The premise of the Young Described Film Critic program is simple: kids love movies. If a young person can't see or can't see well, audio description provides access to all the visual images of the movies that their sighted peers enjoy. Description benefits children who are blind and others who have learning disabilities and it has been shown to boost literacy for all children.

The Young Described Film Critic program asked young people who are blind or have low vision to submit short reviews of any described movie.

The winners of this year's honors are:

Senior Category (ages 15 to 18) (*two* First Place awards - a tie):

First Place - Chante Richardson, El Paso, TX (University of Texas at El Paso) for her review of "Beauty and the Briefcase"

First Place - Kimberly Kim, New York, NY (Lavelle School) for her review of "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants"

Junior Category (ages 11 to 14):

First Place - Rebecca Baumgarten, Schertz, TX (J. Frank Dobie, Jr. High School) for her reviews of
                       "The Return of the King," "The Two Towers," and "The Fellowship of the Ring"

"Audio Description uses words that are succinct, vivid, and imaginative to convey the visual image from television, film, DVDs, theater, museums and many other settings," stated Mitch Pomerantz, president of the American Council of the Blind. "The young people honored with these awards not only appreciate the ability to enjoy films and television right along with their peers-description helps them and their sighted friends develop language skills through exposure to varied word choice, synonyms, metaphors and similes. I wish I'd had access to description when I was growing up!"

Additional information about ACB's Audio Description Project is available at:  www.acb.org/adp; more information about the Described and Captioned Media Program is at: www.dcmp.org.

About the American Council of the Blind

The American Council of the Blind is a national membership organization. Its members are blind, visually impaired, and fully sighted individuals who are concerned about the dignity and well-being of blind people throughout the nation.

Formed in 1961, the ACB is one of the largest organizations of blind people in the world, with more than 70 state and special-interest affiliates and a nationwide network of chapters and members spanning the globe.

For more information about the American Council of the Blind, contact: Melanie Brunson, Executive Director, American Council of the Blind, 2200 Wilson Blvd., Suite 650, Arlington, VA 22201; phone (202) 467-5081 or toll-free, 1-800-424-8666; or visit the web site, www.acb.org.