Technology and Media Services for Individuals With Disabilities--Video Description Research and Development Center

The deadline to submit an application is October 12, 2010.

The purposes of the Technology and Media Services for Individuals with Disabilities program are to: (1) Improve results for children with disabilities by promoting the development, demonstration, and use of technology; (2) support educational media services activities designed to be of educational value in the classroom setting to children with disabilities, and (3) provide support for captioning and video description of educational materials that are appropriate for use in the classroom setting. In the context of this notice, educational materials for use in the classroom setting include television programs, videos, and other materials, including programs and materials associated with new and emerging technologies, such as CDs, DVDs, and other forms of multimedia. In FY11 this program has one absolute priority. This priority is: Technology and Media Services for Individuals with Disabilities--Video Description Research and Development Center. The purpose of this priority is to fund a cooperative agreement to support the establishment and operation of the Video Description Research and Development Center (Center). The purpose of the Center is to advance the research and development of video description, as well as alternative approaches to video description, to improve the accessibility of educational program content delivered via the Internet or through other technological devices (other than television) for students who are blind or visually impaired. To meet the requirements of this priority, the Center, at a minimum, must conduct the following activities: (a) Complete a systematic review and synthesis of existing research on technology that provides accessibility to educational program content that is delivered via the Internet or through other technological devices for children who are blind or visually impaired. (b) Develop methods for providing video description that can be used in conjunction with the Internet and other technological devices in order to ensure that students who are blind or visually impaired have access to educational program content delivered through these methods. (c) Conduct research on emerging alternatives to video description that could improve the accessibility of educational program content (e.g., creating description by having sighted viewers verbally describe video content). (d) Collaborate with researchers and technology experts to enhance or develop new open source technologies that make educational program content--appropriate for use in the classroom and delivered via the Internet or through other technological devices (e.g., smart phones, cell phones, and digital video cameras)--accessible through video description. (e) Systematically field-test and evaluate the efficacy of the technologies developed under paragraph (d) of this priority. (f) Ensure that all technology developed under paragraph (d) will be available as open source materials (i.e., the source codes for the developed technology are freely available to the public). (g) Develop and implement--upon review and approval from OSEP--a strategy for disseminating research and development findings, in open source format, to key stakeholders including educators, technology developers, vendors, researchers, and federally funded technical assistance and dissemination projects (e.g., the National Center on Technology and Innovation and the Family Center on Technology and Disability).

History of Funds:

None is available.

Average Award:

Varies

FY10 Guidance: http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2010/pdf/2010-19959.pdf

Contact Information:

Name: Jo Ann McCann

Department: U.S. Department of Education

Street: 400 Maryland Avenue, SW.

Room 4076

City: Washington

Zip: 20202-2550

Email: JoAnn.McCann@ed.gov