With the election of Barack Obama as President of the United States and a US Congress that is increasingly aware of the rights of people with disabilities, it is likely that 2009 will see the passage of the “21st Century Communications and Accessibility Act”. A key provision of this act will revive the FCC’s 2002 rule mandating the addition of a description track to broadcast television.
The FCC’s 2002 rule ordered that approximately four hours of television per week provided by each of the major broadcasters in the top 25 markets include description. Even before the rule was in place, the number of description producers for media almost quadrupled. Although that rule was overturned only six months later, the number of media description producers in the United States remains the same due to funding provided by the US Department of Education. It is anticipated that the establishment of a mandate, with the full force of legislation passed by Congress and signed into law by the President, will significantly increase the number of described television hours. And while some form of description exists in the performing arts or for exhibits in most states, the further spread of description in media will surely boost the demand for description services in other genres or formats.
Thus, it seems timely for nationally recognised standards to be developed for the writing and voicing of description. Similarly, individuals who train to be describers and build experience working in the field should have the opportunity to be recognised as professionals through a certification process. Media producers, theatres and museums will welcome a mechanism for determining a level of competence achieved by prospective describers.
The American Council of the Blind (ACB) has established the Audio Description Project, a major description promotion and production initiative. At its July 2009 convention, the ACB, in collaboration with the Described and Captioned Media Program (DCMP), will gather description users and producers from around the United States to 1) establish nationally recognised standards for description production in all its genres (principally, performing arts, media and exhibits), and
2) introduce a certification process for professional describers.
This paper will document the development of this process, including its analysis of standards established in other countries, and share with attendees its lessons for students of audio description and all interested in the practical application of audiovisual translation studies.

Joel SNYDER and Audio Description Associates develop audio description for media, museum and the performing arts worldwide. Snyder has led a staff that produced description for nationally broadcast films and network series including “Sesame Street” broadcasts and DVDs. Internationally, he has introduced description techniques in over a dozen nations. In 2008, he presented workshops in Montpellier, Shanghai, Beijing and provided description for the World Blind Union in Geneva. It is likely that in 2009 the US Congress will enact the “21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act”. A key provision of this Act will revive the FCC’s 2002 rule mandating description for broadcast television. Joel Snyder has been a key player in the development of this legislation and in the production of broadcast description since its beginnings in 1985.
As the Director of the American Council of the Blind’s new Audio Description Project, Snyder leads a major description promotion and production initiative. At its July 2009 convention, the ACB, in collaboration with the Described and Captioned Media Program, will gather description users and producers to establish nationally recognised standards for description production and introduce a certification process for professional describers.