However, that does not justify a federal mandate for its use. In July of 1996, thousands of our delegates and members gathered at our annual National Convention and discussed the issue of mandated audio description. We trust that the FCC will give this resolution great weight in considering whether to go forward with rulemaking in this area. As blind citizens, we in the NFB have long been concerned that undue emphasis on entertainment as an issue for the blind draws attention away from the real and cruel forms of economic discrimination and exclusion of blind people from normal integration into society. Our members understand the difference between what we as blind people might enjoy versus what we really need.
Audio description is clearly in the former category.
As for our real needs, we would much prefer that the FCC work with us to use the SAP channel or other means to provide us voice output of print-displayed safety messages, news captions, and other important information. We are concerned that mandated SAP channel use for audio description could potentially interfere with these far more compelling uses. Audio description not an analogue to closed captioning. Closed captioning of television dialogue is undoubtedly very important for deaf people. It is, no doubt, more important for deaf television viewers than audio description is for the blind.