Learning Center

Paramount Global, Nickelodeon and DCMP Form Multi-Year Partnership to Make Brands' Globally Beloved Kids' Programming Accessible

NEW YORK (June 24, 2024) Paramount Global and The Described and Captioned Media Program (DCMP) today announced an unprecedented partnership that ensures hundreds of hours of Nickelodeon’s hit animated and live-action series will be accessible to families with young viewers and students with disabilities. The multi-year agreement commences with several Nickelodeon series, including Bossy Bear, Tiny Chef Show, Blues Clues & You! and Santiago of the Seas and will include distribution via DCMP’s free streaming services for families and schools. Additional Nickelodeon series will be made available on DCMP’s services on a rolling basis through 2029.

In Memoriam: Bill Stark

It is with deep sadness we announce the passing of Bill Stark, a family member, friend, and colleague at the Described and Captioned Media Program. Bill was 80.

The DCMP Impact Story

Media accessibility is crucial for the education and development of students with disabilities. The Described and Captioned Media Program (DCMP) provides access to thousands of educational videos that are aligned to standards and have captions, audio description, and American Sign Language interpretation. And it’s all free, thanks to funding from the U.S. Department of Education.

DCMP's AI Scene Description Tool

DCMP operates the nation’s largest fully-accessible educational video platform, with a library of 18,000 videos designed for use by early learner through Grade 12 students with disabilities. Our development team has been working on ways to use artificial intelligence (AI) to help with accessibility challenges, including those that might be considered “impossible.” We’re excited to present “AI Scene Description,” a new tool for students who are blind and have low vision that can describe the visual elements of any frame within a paused video.

DCMP Honored With Two Anthem Awards

The Described and Captioned Media Program (DCMP) has been honored as the recipient of two awards in the 3rd Annual Anthem Awards category of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion. The Anthem Awards recognize social good through the purpose & mission-driven work of people, companies, and organizations worldwide.

DCMP Recognized as Finalist for 2023 Anthem Awards

Exciting news! DCMP has been recognized as a finalist in two categories for The Anthem Awards for the following work:

Revolutionizing Children's Literature: Imagination Storybooks Merges into DCMP to Enhance Accessibility for Children with Disabilities

Denver, CO, November 15 - In a landmark initiative set to launch on December 1st, Imagination Storybooks, previously known as Imagination Videobooks, is becoming "Imagination Storybooks by DCMP," heralding a new era of inclusivity in children's literature.

Access: Working With Students Who Are Blind or Have Low Vision

Access: Working With Students Who Are Blind or Have Low Vision Module is designed for teachers working in general education who have students who are blind or have low vision. It is meant only as an overview and will touch on some of the most important aspects of educating students who have vision loss. It will provide resources for teachers to learn more on various topics.

Major Upgrades for DCMP's ASL Pop-Up Player

We’re excited to announce important upgrades in our ASL Pop-Up, a secondary video player that provides American Sign Language interpretation of video content. While we’ve been busy adding ASL to hundreds of videos in the DCMP streaming library, we’ve also been developing new ways to improve the user experience for our members.

Accessible Videos and Resources for Early Learners With Visual Impairment

DCMP provides resources to support early intervention and early childhood special education for educators, families, and support personnel with children with a disability. DCMP partners with top educational content producers to add audio description to videos and make them available to families and educators who have children with a disability. You can apply for free membership here. There is no cost for any DCMP services. If you need help turning on the audio description, you can read our Help Center article.

DCMP Partners With Slice of Pie Productions to Make Award-Winning Documentary "The Automat" Accessible With Audio Description

The Described and Captioned Media Program (DCMP) is proud to partner with Slice of Pie Productions to make its award-winning documentary The Automat accessible for persons who are blind and low vision. Produced and directed by Lisa Hurwitz and written by Michael Levine, The Automat explores Horn and Hardart’s Automat restaurants and includes fond memories of iconic Americans’ experiences, including actor Mel Brooks, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Elliot Gould, Carl Reiner, and Howard Schultz.

DCMP and Complexly Partner to Make Crash Course and SciShow Educational Content Accessible With Audio Description

The Described and Captioned Media Program (DCMP) is proud to partner with Complexly to make its highly acclaimed educational series Crash Course and SciShow accessible for people who are blind and low vision. DCMP is creating audio description, a secondary audio track that describes important visual information, for hundreds of episodes of Complexly content.

DCMP Awarded "Audio Description Game Changer: Education" at 2022 ACB Audio Description Awards Gala

We are excited to announce that DCMP was presented with the Audio Description Game Changer: Education award during the 2022 American Council of the Blind (ACB) Audio Description Awards Gala. This came as a surprise, and we are honored to be recognized alongside two other Game Changer award winners, Microsoft and the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

eLearning Modules for Students

DCMP has a variety of self-paced online learning modules designed for students and for teachers with students in transition. These modules are open to eLearners and full members. Click on the links below to read more about each module.

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