Welcome to the Description Key

Description Key - About the Key

Originally developed through a partnership between the Described and Captioned Media Program (DCMP) and the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB), the Description Key began as recommendations, suggestions, and best practices culled from an extensive literature search and meta-analysis [PDF] in 2006.

Description Key - Background

Adapted from the original "Background of The Description Key," written in 2008 by Kay Alicyn Ferrell and Mary Ann Siller, American Foundation for the Blind.

Description Key - Quality Description

Today's students are expected to learn from increasingly visual curricula. Using narration to describe visual information enhances comprehension and retention. Description not only benefits students who are blind or visually impaired, it benefits children on the autism spectrum, English language learners, and children with learning differences.

Description Key - Job Descriptions

The person responsible for authoring and editing the description script to be recorded by a voicer (or voice talent).

Description Key - Preparation

Description Key - What to Describe

Description Key - How to Describe

Description Key - Technical Issues

Description Key - Resources

Offers an overview of description, how description can be used in the classroom, the progress of the Video Description Research and Development Center in the design of new description technologies, and special webinar resources.

Description Key - Code of Conduct

Note: The following is an excerpt from the Standards for Audio Description and Code of Professional Conduct for Describers by the Audio Description Coalition (ADC).

Description Key - Accessibility Vendors

The Described and Captioned Media Program maintains an online listing of description service vendors. Please complete the form below to add your company to the listing.