context->filename = 'n:\utility\503500258\5006314015\5006314015.pdf' *Pages 1--1 from Microsoft Word - 6011155521.txt* Ronald J. Gardner Attorney at Law 132 Penman Lane Bountiful, UT 84010 March 24, 2000 Federal Communication Commission Washington, D. C. Subject: Descriptive Video for television broadcasts Dear FCC: The purpose of this letter is to comment on the proposed rule making regarding descriptive video for television. I believe it is good to encourage television stations and program producers to voluntarily provide audio description of certain items during television broadcasts. However, I oppose any regulation that requires descriptive video. I believe the proposed regulation is well intended but misses the mark. It is not helpful to me or most other blind people I know to have the description of actions or sceenery during a television program. It would be much mmore helpful if television broadcasts could pass along the text information presented on the screen. That is, please consider encouraging the use of audio description to read the names and titles of people speaking. This information is often presented on the screen in text form but is not announced. Also, announcing important weather or other emergency information scrolling across the bottom of the screen would be helpful. Television is certainly one of the most powerful means of providing information to the public. If one considers 70% of people with vision impairments are unemployed, it readily becomes apparent that information during a local news broadcast is much more important than an audio description of the humorous face of a comedian during a "sitcom." Please encourage descriptive video through voluntary compliance. Let's save regulatory mandates for requiring services that will assist blind people to become employed, and participate more fully in society. Thank you for your consideration of my views as a blind person. Sincerely, Ron Gardner 1