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OVC Publishing Guidelines for Print and Multimedia About OVCOJP seal: Innovation . Partnerships . Safer Neighborhoods Message From the DirectorOVC Publishing Guidelines for Print and Multimedia NCJ 229712 / March 2010
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Submission Requirements

Videos

Accessibility Features

OVC includes as standard several accessibility features to assist individuals who are blind, low vision, hard-of-hearing, or deaf. Keep these features in mind when developing your video.

Subtitles

Subtitles collect all of the audio information from a video and describe it using text. They include not only spoken content but also non-speech sounds such as sound effects, music, and speaker or location identification. Subtitles appear transposed over the visual elements in a video, and are synchronized so they appear at the same time as they are spoken or sounded. Subtitles can be turned on and off using a button on the user's remote control or a menu on the DVD. View the videos associated with OVC's Through Our Eyes: Children, Violence, and Trauma project for examples of subtitles.

Subtitles should be used instead of Open or Closed Captioning. See File Setup for submission requirements related to the Subtitles feature.

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Audio Navigation

Audio navigation reads DVD menu button labels aloud for low-vision or blind users, and itemizes all the navigation options that appear on the screen, including the total number of buttons. Grantees are not responsible for creating this feature; it will be added as part of the production process.

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Enhanced Audio

Enhanced audio combines the audio portion of a video with a narrative description that interprets what is happening in the video and identifies the individuals who appear in it. This is an audio-only presentation for blind and low-vision users. While it does not include the video, the program audio track can be edited to allow as much time as needed for visually descriptive material. Computer-synthesized narration is used to set up the visual elements, actions, and individuals involved in each scene. Please keep the following in mind when developing the enhanced audio script:

  • Include key details of each scene that will help a blind or low-vision user understand the material presented.
  • Create a smooth, flowing narrative that helps to tell the story.
  • Avoid mechanical instructions when they don't add to the script (e.g., "Kenneth Barnes appears on screen.")
  • Identify individuals by name and title when they are initially introduced; thereafter, use identify them by name only (e.g., "Rev. Mercer"). Only repeat when it is essential to clarify their identity again.
  • Try to include the most compelling images in your script. You may need to leave out minor details (e.g., "images from newspapers, shots of report covers").

See File Setup for submission requirements related to this feature.

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