The future of video description will be dramatically influenced by consumers of the service. If the private business secter finds a sensible economic model to profit from the production and distribution of described tv programs and films, then the availability of described products will naturally continue to increase. Clearly, visually impaired consumers will need to support early ventures launched by commercial entities that offer video described media. Eventually, if consumers who are not visually impaired find value in audio described tv programs and films, then the potential for greater profit will accelerate the rate of increasing availability of video description, and a multitude of described media products and new methods of distributing them would rapidly emerge.

If visually impaired consumers rely on public funding to support video description rather than commercial ventures, then, it seems likely that availability of described media will certainly grow at a drastically slower rate. Also, current trends indicate that the federal government is resistent to funding the description of certain types of programs, in favor of funding description of only children's educational programs. Currently, the Department of Education offers grants to fund the description of children's programs. Federal legislators are currently considering legislation that will allow broadcast video description to be mandated by the FCC, as it was in 2002.

At the present time, consumers who hope for widespread availability of video description in the future can help bring about change toward that goal. Consumers can contact their federal legislators to inform them of the importance of making tv and films accessible through description. Consumers can insist that their elected representatives in the Congress and the Senate support the "Video Description Restoration Act".

Consumers can also make a substantial difference by contacting television networks, movie studios, and program producers to insist that they offer video description with their broadcast programs, DVD releases, and digital download programs. Following is useful information for contacting influential decision makers in the entertainment industry.

Network contact information --

NBC: nbcshows@nbc.com

ABC: Netaudr@abc.com

CBS: go to www.cbs.com and use the feedback form.

Fox: askfox@foxinc.com

Lifetime: Go to www.lifetimetv.com and look for a link that says "Write to us."

WTBS (Superstation): Go to www.turner.com/tbs and look for a link that says "global/nav_contact". Then use the link that says "Ask a Question." This will be another feedback form.

Turner Network Television: tnt@turner.com

USA Network: go to www.usanetwork.com and use the Feedback link, then the sendmail link of the show or category you wish to comment on, such as movies@usanetwork.com

You can make a difference.