“Spanish-speaking folks are already marginalized and then you add the visual impairment to it,” Matos says, adding that for those who have progressively lost their sight, the inability to consume media like they used to often makes them feel like “their world is closing in around them.” Matos, who is an assistive technology trainer at the New York Public Library and grew up in a Spanish-speaking household, says accessible media in other languages is “up-and-coming” but is still “not even close” to what English-speakers have access to.Īnd she’d like to see more attention given to making audio description available in the US’ second-most widely spoken language - Spanish.
While the greater availability of audio description at movie theaters is a step toward improved inclusion, it’s so far only a monolingual enhancement and leaves out many non-English speakers from experiencing this kind of independence. “It used to be that I would have my parents describe to me what’s going on, or the friends I was with,” says Matos. Related: How balloons gave a blind South Korean artist his life backįor people like Nefertiti Matos, who’s in her 20s and has been blind since childhood, the availability of this service means they no longer need to rely on others to explain what’s happening on screen.
Many cinemas now provide this feature via a pair of headphones and a small transmitter box that receives the descriptive narration that’s in sync with the film. But it has only been since 2017 that all US movie theaters became legally required to offer audio description to guests who are blind or have low vision. It also reads out text or subtitles during dialogue breaks. The accessibility service, which has been available for decades on VHS, DVD and on some television networks, is an embedded voice track that briefly explains visual imagery and action. We look forward to receiving your application.Audio description has changed how many people with visual impairments experience going to the movies. To be considered for acceptance into the Scholarship Program for the Fall 2007 semester, you must complete the online application and submit all required documentation postmarked no later than May 25, 2007. Two (2) years of service is required for every year the scholarship is awarded. Successful program candidates are required to provide service to the New York City Public Schools upon completion of the program.
The primary objective of the scholarship program is to provide full tuition payments to eligible students enabling them to obtain New York State certification and to seek a rewarding career in education. The scholarship program offers uncertified candidates a traditional path to certification by way of a Master's degree in a traditional teaching or clinical shortage area. This program prepares participants to serve in the areas of Bilingual Special Education, Monolingual and Bilingual Speech Language Pathology/Audiology and Monolingual and Bilingual Visually Impaired.
The Graduate Scholarship Program was created to address the staffing needs in critical shortage areas and to improve the delivery of service to New York City Public School students. Thank you for your interest in the New York City Department of Education's Graduate Scholarship Program. THE NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Scholarship Program GRADUATE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
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