Learning Center

Earth Day and March for Science - April 22

Earth Day was founded by United States Senator Gaylord Nelson as an environmental teach-in, first held on April 22, 1970. Activities for Earth Day, and often for the whole week, focus on the environmental issues that the world faces. These issues include extreme weather, rising sea levels, and altered ecosystems due to increased levels of CO2 in Earth's atmosphere.

DCMP Promotional Materials

You can help promote accessible media in the classroom by ordering your free Described and Captioned Media Program promotional materials to display or hand out at schools, libraries or anywhere else.

Haga Sus Producciones Mas Accesibles

¿Como pueden beneficiarlo los servicios de "caption" o subtitulos ocultos y la descripcion?

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is a federal holiday that marks the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr., the chief spokesperson for nonviolent activism during the Civil Rights Movement. It is observed on the third Monday in January, near his birthday on January 15.

On-demand Accessible Television for Home and the Classroom

In 2015, the U.S. Department of Education announced that several children’s television programs could now be viewed online with captioning and description through DCMP’s Accessible Television Portal. Since that time, DCMP has continued working with ED Television Access grantees to make accessible television content available at no cost to thousands of students who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind, visually impaired, or deafblind. Broadcast content is provided by the major television networks, as well as producers and distributors like PBS Kids, the Fred Rogers Company, Sprout, and Litton Entertainment.

Map It Teacher Curriculum

The Map It curriculum, part of the Map It: What Comes Next Module, provides lesson plans, materials, and resources needed for educators and professionals to actively engage and guide students in the development of their self-determination and self-advocacy skills. The curriculum culminates with a student-focused transition plan and materials to support students' active involvement in the IEP process. It recognizes that educational settings and access to services vary across the country, creating different needs for students, educators, and professionals.

Is Your Student Ready for What Comes Next?

Life is a series of transitions. Children face changes and challenges as they transition from kindergarten to first grade; from elementary to middle school; and from middle to high school. But perhaps the most challenging transition comes after graduation from high school, because there are so many choices. Teachers and parents often struggle to ensure that their students are ready for this major transition.

Moko the Young Explorer Episode Guide (English)

These are just some of the many questions that a young child will ask. Moko answers these questions as he travels all over the world, discovering many natural phenomena which sometimes delight him and other times scare him.

Everyone Needs a Role Model - Jake Olson

Children often hear the question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” They may respond by sharing their goals of wanting to become an astronaut, rock star, princess, or president. While these professions are unlikely outcomes for most children, we try not to discourage their dreams. Do we offer the same level of encouragement to students with disabilities? We should. There are many role models for these students who show us anything is possible.

Converting YouTube SBV Subtitles to SubRip SRT Format

One of the most intriguing CIY-related developments in captioning has been Google’s announcement of automatic accessibility features for YouTube channels. Most of the buzz has surrounded the auto-caption feature; based upon the speech-to-text engine that powers Google Voice, auto-caption allows individual viewers to access a machine-generated transcription of a video’s speech content, which is then automatically synchronized with the video’s sound track and displayed as individual captions. However, it is the auto-sync feature that figures to be—at least in the short term—a real game-changer for serious CIYers.

This Day in History - December

Spanish Language Resources from the DCMP

Welcome to the DCMP’s collection of Spanish language resources. Here, you can access DCMP articles that have been translated into Spanish, explore a F.A.Q. about accessibility (from dicapta), and find information about DCMP’s collection of Spanish language educational videos.

Social Skills Cinema

In May 2011, the Texas Committee for the Education of Students with Visual Impairments offered teachers, parents, and students with visual impairments across the United States and Canada an opportunity to submit a short video on the theme, "Social Skills: Putting the 'C' in Cool." The contest provided a perfect opportunity to highlight a favorite lesson to teach social skills at home, school, or in the community. In 2012 and 2013, the contest was continued with the theme, "Lessons for the Real World."

Barack Obama: The Power of Change

Archival footage from campaign speeches by Barack Obama is interspersed with interviews and reflections from famous cultural figures in this chronicle of the 2008 Presidental campaign. Examines the cultural significance of Obama’s rise to prominence set against a backdrop of “hope, change, inspiration, and equality—for all Americans.” Among those interviewed or featured in this production are Oprah Winfrey, Michelle Obama, Caroline Kennedy, Mitchell Schwartz, Stevie Wonder, Dr. Cornell West, Tavis Smiley, Hill Harper, and Tyson Beckford.

Olympics - Accessible Resources for Educators

DCMP has resources to help your students learn more about the Olympics. These videos will get you and your students off to a good start.