I am listening to the FDR video now; the description is good; it has to be. I've watched it numerous times by now. It would be nice if they made all six videos available with descriptions, but hey, it's a start. :)
On 10/29/08, David Poehlman <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > This speaks for its self. > > Original message... > >>AMERICAN EXPERIENCE "THE PRESIDENTS" DOWNLOADS ON ITUNES U ACCESSIBLE TO >>EXPANDED AUDIENCE >> >>Closed Captioning and Video Description Offered as Options >> >>Boston, MA. September 16, 2008. PBS' American Experience is offering >>free downloads of six of its award-winning Presidential biographies >>for educational use. As the 2008 election heats up, closed captioned >>biographies of Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Truman, Lyndon Johnson, >>Richard Nixon, Jimmy Carter, and Ronald Reagan -- more than 23 hours >>of programming -- are available on the American Experience "The >>Presidents" web site (pbs.org/presidents) and on Apple's on iTunes U, a >>section of the iTunes Store showcasing free educational offerings from >>WGBH and top universities. >> >>"Our iTunes U collaboration with Apple is an effective platform for >>reaching our existing audience and attracting new viewers," says Annie >>Valva, WGBH Interactive's director of Research and Business >>Development. WGBH's digital reach is further expanded by the >>pioneering work of WGBH's Media Access Group. Annie notes, "Within an >>hour of posting one American Experience film to iTunes U we heard from >>a user who told us how much he and his wife depend on our captioned >>material. Before we even had a chance to upload all the films, the >>user wrote back telling us, "I was on a quick plane trip and I was >>watching the Carter series on both the outbound and return >>flights. . . which I could not complete because of interruptions by >>other passengers who wanted to know about the iPhone and especially >>the show!" >> >>Making history in another way, the Roosevelt biography is the first >>online video program to be offered as a download with a Descriptive >>Video Service(R) (DVS(R)) track, which makes video more accessible to >>viewers who are blind or have low vision via narration of key visual >>elements, inserted into pauses in dialogue. American Experience is >>closed captioned and described for broadcast by WGBH's Media Access >>Group (access.wgbh.org) for the nation's 36 million viewers with >>hearing or vision loss. >> >>According to Larry Goldberg, director of Media Access at WGBH, "While >>virtually all broadcast and cable programs are closed captioned, and >>many air with video description as well, only a few programs that >>migrate to the web do so with these important access features intact. >>We are thrilled that American Experience has succeeded in including a >>large audience, numbering in excess of 36 million potential users with >>sensory disabilities, in "The Presidents" online initiative. Apple is >>to be congratulated for its leadership in making web-based, >>downloadable video accessible." >> >>For more information on access features for web-based video, either >>creating captioning and description or making sure these features are >>included when video is repurposed for the web, contact the Media >>Access Group at WGBH, >><mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>[EMAIL PROTECTED] >> >>The free program downloads will be available until Inauguration Day, >>January 20, 2009. >> >>ABOUT THE MEDIA ACCESS GROUP AT WGBH >>The Media Access Group is a nonprofit service of Boston public >>broadcaster WGBH, with offices in Boston and Los Angeles. The Group >>includes DVS, which has made television, film and video more enjoyable >>to audiences who are blind or visually impaired since 1990, and The >>Caption Center-- the world's first captioning agency-- which has made >>audiovisual media accessible to audiences who are deaf or hard of >>hearing since 1972. The third branch of the Media Access Group, the >>Carl and Ruth Shapiro Family National Center for Accessible Media at >>WGBH (NCAM), is a research, development and outreach organization that >>works to make existing and emerging technologies accessible to all >>audiences. Members of the Group's collective staff represent the >>leading resources and experts in their fields. >> >>ABOUT AMERICAN EXPERIENCE >> >>Television's most-watched history series, American Experience has been >>hailed as "peerless" (Wall Street Journal), "the most consistently >>enriching program on television" (Chicago Tribune), and "a beacon of >>intelligence and purpose" (Houston Chronicle). On air and online, the >>series brings to life the incredible characters and epic stories that >>have shaped America's past and present. Acclaimed by viewers and >>critics alike, American Experience documentaries have been honored >>with every major broadcast award, including twenty-four Emmy Awards, >>four duPont-Columbia Awards, and fourteen George Foster Peabody >>Awards, one most recently for Two Days in October. >> >>ABOUT WGBH BOSTON >>WGBH Boston is America's preeminent public broadcasting producer. More >>than one-third of PBS's prime-time lineup and companion Web content as >>well as many public radio favorites are produced by WGBH. The station >>also is a pioneer in educational multimedia and in access technologies >>for people with disabilities. For more information visit wgbh.org. >>For more information about American Experience and The Presidents >>visit pbs.org/americanexperience >> >>September 16, 2008 >> >>Contact >>Mary Watkins >><mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>[EMAIL PROTECTED] >>Media Access Group at WGBH >>617 300-3700 voice >>617 300-2489 TTY > > > > >
