Description Key

Site Map

Welcome to the Description Key!

• A Definition of Description

• DCMP Description Philosophy

About the Key

• About the Described and Captioned Media Program

• About the American Foundation for the Blind

• About the National Association of the Deaf

• About the Expert Panel

• Description Key Design and HTML/CSS/Javascript Coding

Background of the Description Key

• History of Description

• Describing for Children

• Some General Considerations

• A Final Note

• References and Resources

Job Descriptions

Preparation

• Familiarization with Program Being Described

• Voicer Considerations

What to Describe

• General

• Characters/People

• Scenes and Scene Changes

• Passage of Time

• Expanded Description

How to Describe

• General

• Point of View and Narrative Tense

• Timing & Rate

• Vocabulary and Language

• Objectivity and Interpretation

• Music

• Background Noise and Sound Effects

• Text On-Screen

Technical Issues

• Mixing Description with the Program Audio

Description Resources

• General

• Vocabulary–Online Resources

• Vocabulary–Print Resources

• Code of Conduct for Describers