UniDescription
Portraits of People in the American Council of the Blind

Portraits of People in the American Council of the Blind

In this Portrait project, American Council of the Blind members — who are blind or who have low-vision — were invited to have a portrait taken of them, from the shoulders up, on a black background. The images are shot very tightly, as a way to position the viewer to focus on the person's face and humanity. The participants also were guided through the process of making an Audio Description of the portrait. The descriptions provided here are based on what the person in the image wanted to say about themselves, after being guided through a series of prompts about potential topics of interest for their viewers/listeners, including name, gender, age, race/ethnicity, fashion/attire, facial expression, body shape/size, and any other aspects of their appearance they wanted to mention. The people in the portrait also were asked if they wanted to share the description with a first-person or third-person point of view.

Photos

Photo of Portrait of Allen West
Portrait of Allen West

DESCRIBING: A vertical photograph, taken July 7, 2022
DESCRIPTION: Allen is a 63-year-old African American male with curly salt-and-pepper hair. He's wearing a black, collared, polo shirt and black sunglasses.

Photo of Portrait of Andre Chan
Portrait of Andre Chan

DESCRIBING: A vertical photograph, taken July 7, 2022
DESCRIPTION: Andre is a 67-year-old half-Asian, half-African American woman. She has her curly hair — white in the front but darker in the back — pulled back into a ponytail. She's wearing a fuchsia-colored shirt and considers herself serious but happy.

Photo of Portrait of Andrea DeKlotz
Portrait of Andrea DeKlotz

DESCRIBING: A vertical photograph, taken July 7, 2022.
DESCRIPTION: Andrea is a white woman, with short salt-and-pepper colored hair, wearing a dark blue shirt. She is smiling.

Photo of Portrait of Anthony Akamine
Portrait of Anthony Akamine

DESCRIBING: A vertical photograph, taken June 4, 2022
DESCRIPTION: Photo of Anthony Akamine, smiling. He is middle-aged, of a medium-build, and Asian American of Japanese and Okinawan descent. He is clean-cut with short and spiky dark-brown hair, and no facial hair, except his eyebrows. He is wearing a fashionable, Aloha-print shirt with floral and geometric designs, mixing light purples and greens with dark brown backgrounds.

Photo of Portrait of Anthony Corona
Portrait of Anthony Corona

DESCRIBING: A vertical photograph, taken July 7, 2022
DESCRIPTION: Anthony Corona is an Italian-American man, in his mid-40s, displaying a sense of happiness and confidence. He is tall, fit, and in moderately good shape. He has hazel eyes, short and spiky black hair, and a 5-o'clock shadow. He is wearing a fashion-forward and collared coral shirt, with black fashion-fit jeans not shown in the image. He also is wearing a gold necklace with a double crucifix.

Photo of Portrait of Art Cabanilla
Portrait of Art Cabanilla

DESCRIBING: A vertical photograph, taken April 29, 2023.
DESCRIPTION: Art Cabanilla slightly tilts his head up, in a laugh, and turns a bit to his right while enjoying the moment. Otherwise, he's facing forward and wearing a collared black shirt that blends into the black background. Art has light-brown skin, connecting him to his Filipino-mixed heritage, and he has short black hair, with traces of white throughout.

Photo of Portrait of Catherine Schmitt Whitaker
Portrait of Catherine Schmitt Whitaker

DESCRIBING: A vertical photograph, taken July 7, 2022
DESCRIPTION: I'm Cathy, a white woman, with light brown curly hair that's a little bit longer than shoulder length. I'm wearing a pale pink blouse and conveying a genuineness, filled with curiosity and confidence.

Photo of Portrait of Cha Smith
Portrait of Cha Smith

DESCRIBING: A vertical photograph, taken June 4, 2022
DESCRIPTION: My name is Cha, and this image shows me from the shoulders up. I'm wearing a black, Aloha-print shirt, decorated with light-green bamboo leaves. I'm an older haole woman of Western European descent. I have short hair, which is mostly black with some gray on the sides. I have brown eyes, and in this photograph, I'm looking directly at the viewer.

Photo of Portrait of Chris Gray
Portrait of Chris Gray

DESCRIBING: A vertical photograph, taken July 7, 2022
DESCRIPTION: Chris is a caucasian man, 5-foot-8, with blue eyes and short brown hair. He's wearing a white, button-down, and collared dress shirt with thin black stripes. He has a slight smile.

Photo of Photo of Christina Tran
Photo of Christina Tran

DESCRIBING: A vertical photograph, taken July 7, 2022.
DESCRIPTION: Christina Tran is a 50-year-old Asian female. She has brown eyes and long dark hair. She is smiling.

Photo of Portrait of Cynthia Hirakawa
Portrait of Cynthia Hirakawa

DESCRIBING: A vertical photograph, taken June 4, 2022
DESCRIPTION: Cynthia Hirakawa is shown laughing. She is wearing a teal, collared shirt. She is of Okinawan descent.

Photo of Portrait of Debbie Watson
Portrait of Debbie Watson

DESCRIBING: A vertical photograph, taken July 7, 2022
DESCRIPTION: I'm Debbie, a 70-year-old white woman, who looks a little younger than that. I have curly, short light-gray hair. I'm wearing a blue t-shirt, and I'm smiling.

Photo of Portrait of Donna Permar
Portrait of Donna Permar

DESCRIBING: A vertical photograph, taken July 7, 2022.
DESCRIPTION: Donna has short dark hair, with gray streaks. She is petite, and her casual attire features a white blouse. She is laughing.

Photo of Portrait of Dora Lee Martinez
Portrait of Dora Lee Martinez

DESCRIBING: A vertical photograph, taken July 7, 2022.
DESCRIPTION: I'm Dora, a woman over 40, with short, dark, curly hair. I'm an Asian Pacific Islander. I'm wearing a cream-colored buttoned-down shirt and black sunglasses.

Photo of Portrait of Edward Shaham
Portrait of Edward Shaham

DESCRIBING: A vertical photograph, taken July 7, 2022.
DESCRIPTION: My name is Edward, but everyone calls me Eddie. I'm in my mid-40s, but I look like I'm in my late 20s. I'm wearing a black Armani suit, with a light blue collared shirt, with vertical white stripes. I have on a gold, silver, and blue striped silk tie, and I complement that with a white pocket square, in a presidential fold. I'm wearing Blue de EDP Chanel parfum for men and fine Italian shoes. My hair is short and black, slightly longer on the top but faded to my skin on the sides. I'm 5-foot-9 and presenting myself in an authoritative pose. I have a relaxed expression, friendly and warm.

Photo of Portrait of Gabe Lopez Kafati
Portrait of Gabe Lopez Kafati

DESCRIBING: A vertical photograph, taken July 7, 2022
DESCRIPTION: I'm Gabe Lopez Kafati, a man in my early 40s, who is a mix of white, Hispanic, and Arabic origins. I have a shaved head, light-reddish beard, brown eyes and freckles. I'm an average height, slender, with a friendly demeanor. I'm wearing a long-sleeved black Lululemon fashion polo that's open in the front, and underneath I have a white t-shirt with a rainbow stripe. I have on dark and thick glasses as well, with a gold necklace around my neck, with a modern gold cross on it. I'm feeling happy, confident, and relaxed.

Photo of Portrait of Glenn Permar
Portrait of Glenn Permar

DESCRIBING: A vertical photograph, taken July 7, 2022.
DESCRIPTION: I'm Glenn, tall (6-foot-1) and athletic (200 pounds), with silver-gray hair. I have blue eyes. I'm wearing a light-gray t-shirt.

Photo of Portrait of Gregg Wandsneider
Portrait of Gregg Wandsneider

DESCRIBING: A vertical photograph, taken July 7, 2022
DESCRIPTION: Gregg is a white male in his early 40s. He has wavy brown hair, hazel eyes, and is wearing a gray-and-white collared shirt complemented by black suspenders.

Photo of Portrait of Hilarion Kamaka
Portrait of Hilarion Kamaka

DESCRIBING: A vertical photograph, taken April 29, 2023.
DESCRIPTION: Hilarion Kamaka is shown laughing, with his eyes closed in joyful mirth and his mouth wide open, like he is reacting to a great joke. He has very short hair, almost the same length throughout, that is mostly gray with some black undertones. A Pacific Islander, he has light-brown skin, and he is wearing a gray t-shirt with a pattern of thin horizontal stripes — black, green, and white — repeating every few inches.

Photo of Portrait of Janae Cantu
Portrait of Janae Cantu

DESCRIBING: A vertical photograph, taken July 7, 2022
DESCRIPTION: Janae is wearing a black-and-beige suit, with a black background. She is white, with short brown hair, and is smiling.

Photo of Portrait of Jane Carona
Portrait of Jane Carona

Portrait of Jane Carona
DESCRIBING: A vertical color photograph taken June 25, 2024.
DESCRIPTION: With bright sunlight coming from her right and illuminating her face, Jane Carona smiles slightly in this portrait, with her lips pressed together but also with a slight upturn on their edges. She is shown from roughly the shoulders up. Carona is a white woman with short silver-black hair that curls inward roughly at her earlobes. She is wearing a pink t-shirt with colorful palm trees on the front. She also has a gold chain around her neck that holds a circular golden medallion. The background of this image is blurred, but it suggests that the photo was taken outdoors, because of the green foliage behind her. This setting was near a visitor center at Rock Creek Park in Washington, D.C.

Photo of Portrait of Jessica Dail
Portrait of Jessica Dail

DESCRIBING: A vertical photograph, taken July 7, 2022.
DESCRIPTION: I'm Jessica. I'm 27, white, and with low-vision. That means I wear glasses, and I can see with them, just not the best. I have brown hair in a messy bun. I usually wear earrings but not on this day. I am wearing a shirt with dark blue and white vertical stripes, and my short sleeves have little pom-pom tassels around them. I also am wearing a necklace that has a heart-shaped cross on it, made of Hawaiian wood.

Photo of Portrait of Kiran Kaja
Portrait of Kiran Kaja

DESCRIBING: A vertical photograph, taken July 7, 2022.
DESCRIPTION: I'm Kiran, a tall, confident, East Indian man. I'm wearing a light blue button-down shirt. It's fashionable; Polo is the brand. I have black hair and brown eyes.

Photo of Portrait of Kyle Sabrina Laconsay
Portrait of Kyle Sabrina Laconsay

DESCRIBING: A vertical photograph, taken June 4, 2022
DESCRIPTION: This image of Kyle shows her smiling, from the shoulders up. She is wearing a paisley headband that has blues and oranges and a peachy background, which complements her peach-colored blouse. Kyle is a petite, Filipino woman, wearing sunglasses, and she holds her white cane close to her side.

Photo of Portrait of Lance Kamala
Portrait of Lance Kamala

DESCRIBING: A vertical photograph, taken April 29, 2023.
DESCRIPTION: Lance Kamaka has short black hair, peppered with a bit of white. He is a Pacific Islander, with light brown skin, and in this image, he faces the camera directly with a light smile on his face shown by his slightly upturned lip corners and upraised eyebrows. He wears a dark-blue and collared shirt.

Photo of Portrait of Lynne Koral
Portrait of Lynne Koral

DESCRIBING: A vertical photograph, taken July 7, 2022
DESCRIPTION: I'm Lynne Koral. I have brown eyes, dark brown hair, and a beautiful face. I'm exuberantly smiling in this photo. I'm short in stature and wearing a black dress with a pink flower.

Photo of Portrait of Marri Murdoch
Portrait of Marri Murdoch

DESCRIBING: A vertical photograph, taken April 29, 2023.
DESCRIPTION: Marri Murdoch's bright-white smile is the focal point of this image, framed by her long and thick black hair, large black sunglasses, a black background, and her neon pink tank top.

Photo of Portrait of Marvelena Quesada
Portrait of Marvelena Quesada

DESCRIBING: A vertical photograph, taken July 7, 2022
DESCRIPTION: Marvelena Quesada has long black hair, brown eyes, and high cheek bones. She is 5-foot-3 and wearing a dark blue sweater.

Photo of Portrait of Maureen Heneghan
Portrait of Maureen Heneghan

DESCRIBING: A vertical photograph, taken July 7, 2022
DESCRIPTION: I'm Maureen, a middle-aged white woman with short brown hair with a gray tint to it. I'm wearing glasses and a maroon t-shirt.

Photo of Portrait of Melanie Sinohui
Portrait of Melanie Sinohui

DESCRIBING: A vertical photograph, taken July 7, 2022
DESCRIPTION: Melanie is a white woman, tall and slender. She has long brown hair, brown eyes, and glasses. She's wearing a houndstooth suit jacket over a black blouse, complemented by a silver necklace and silver hoop earrings. She's wearing red lipstick and smiling.

Photo of Photo of Myles Tamashiro
Photo of Myles Tamashiro

DESCRIBING: A vertical photograph, taken June 4, 2022
DESCRIPTION: I'm Myles, and this image shows me from the shoulders up. I'm wearing a blue Aloha-print shirt, with white Hawaii-themed designs on it. I have medium-length silver hair and a silver mustache. I'm smiling subtlely, into a warm natural light coming from my right.

Photo of Portrait of Natalie Barrett
Portrait of Natalie Barrett

DESCRIBING: A vertical photograph, taken April 29, 2023.
DESCRIPTION: Wearing sunglasses and an AirPod in her right ear, Natalie Barrett holds her pet chihuahua, faces the camera, and smiles. Against the black background, Barrett's shoulder-length black hair shows gray streaks throughout. She's wearing a dark-blue shirt, too, and the dark colors in the scene accentuate her light tan-pink skin as well as the light cream colors of the fur of her pet.

Photo of Portrait of Natalie Couch
Portrait of Natalie Couch

DESCRIBING: A vertical photograph, taken July 7, 2022
DESCRIPTION: Natalie Couch is a middle-40s caucasian, with short brown hair and blue eyes, smiling and looking happy.

Photo of Portrait of Pat Sheehan
Portrait of Pat Sheehan

DESCRIBING: A vertical color photograph taken June 25, 2024
DESCRIPTION: Pat Sheehan smiles and faces the camera in this portrait, which has a blurred background, indicating a setting of trees and green foliage. That setting is near a visitor center at Rock Creek Park in Washington, D.C.
Sheehan is shown roughly from the belt up. He is wearing a black and collared polo shirt with the top button open, a black leather belt, and jeans. Sheehan has his arms comfortably crossed in front of him, with his right hand holding his folded-up white cane, and his left wrist displaying an Apple watch with the time in large numbers reading 12:35.
Sheehan is a white man with gray stubbly hair on his head and a friendly expression on his face.

Photo of Portrait of Peter Heide
Portrait of Peter Heide

DESCRIBING: A vertical photograph, taken July 7, 2022.
DESCRIPTION: Peter is a 70-year-old white male. He's 6-foot-2, with brown eyes. He's wearing an Army green buttoned-up shirt with a collar.

Photo of Portrait of Roberta Tomas
Portrait of Roberta Tomas

DESCRIBING: A vertical photograph, taken June 4, 2022
DESCRIPTION: Dr. Roberta Tomas is shown, from the shoulders up, smiling and facing the viewer. She is a Native Hawaiian, with a light-brown skin tone, and her dark-brown hair is held up in a ponytail by a palapalai fern hairband. She is wearing a dark-blue t-shirt that shows the Hawaii Association of the Blind logo. She was the first blind person to be licensed as a medical doctor or psychiatrist in the state of Hawaii.

Photo of Portrait of Roy Nakasato
Portrait of Roy Nakasato

DESCRIBING: A vertical photograph, taken June 4, 2022
DESCRIPTION: I'm Roy Nakasato, and this image shows me from the shoulders up. I'm wearing a straw hat, with a black band around its base; I have been told that this hat makes me look debonair. Tufts of my silver hair poke out from underneath it, giving me a youthful look, even though I'm a senior kupuna. I'm slim, Asian, and known for my positive mood.

Photo of Portrait of Sam Claassen
Portrait of Sam Claassen

DESCRIBING: A vertical photograph, taken July 7, 2022
DESCRIPTION: I'm Sam. I'm feeling good and looking better. I'm wearing a black hat, with casual attire, including a gray collared shirt.

Photo of Portrait of Sarah Presley
Portrait of Sarah Presley

DESCRIBING: A vertical photograph, taken July 7, 2022.
DESCRIPTION: Sarah is a white woman, with brown eyes and glasses. She has salt-and-pepper colored hair. She is wearing a dark blue shirt with a paisley pattern shaded in a lighter blue and a cream.

Photo of Portrait of Sharon Howerton
Portrait of Sharon Howerton

DESCRIBING: A vertical photograph, taken July 7, 2022
DESCRIPTION: Sharon is a 71-year-old white woman with short and curly salt-and-pepper hair, with light-brown undertones to it. She is wearing a dark-blue t-shirt as well as a silver necklace that once belonged to her aunt. It's a Catholic emblem, with hearts representing her grandkids. She has a pleasant and positive attitude represented by her smile.

Photo of Portrait of Sheila Styron
Portrait of Sheila Styron

DESCRIBING: A vertical photograph, taken July 7, 2022.
DESCRIPTION: Sheila is 5-foot-4, with long blonde hair, wearing a striped dress, with blues, greens, and purples in it.

Photo of Portrait of Susan Crawford
Portrait of Susan Crawford

DESCRIBING: A vertical color photograph taken June 25, 2024
DESCRIPTION: Susan Crawford is facing the camera and smiling in this portrait. She is shown from roughly the shoulders up. Crawford is a white woman with straight shoulder-length silver hair showing undertones of black. Crawford is wearing a dark blue shirt with a V-neck, and glasses. The background of this image is blurred, but it suggests that the photo was taken outdoors with a building nearby and behind Crawford. That building is a visitor center at Rock Creek Park in Washington, D.C.

Photo of Portrait of Tom Kaufman
Portrait of Tom Kaufman

DESCRIBING: A vertical photograph, taken July 7, 2022.
DESCRIPTION: I'm Tom Kaufman. I'm 68 years old, with dark hair, brown eyes, and I'm smiling.

Photo of Portrait of Vickie Kennedy
Portrait of Vickie Kennedy

DESCRIBING: A vertical photograph, taken June 4, 2022
DESCRIPTION: I'm Vickie Kennedy, and this image shows me from the shoulders up. I'm wearing a three-quarter-sleeved blouse that alternates between light- and dark-green vertical stripes, with a gold necklace featuring a turtle shape highlighted with a black pearl where the shell would be. I'm 76 years old, 5-foot-2, and of mostly Japanese descent with a hint of French and English. I have short silver-black hair, and I'm giving a neutral expression but feeling powerful and at-peace on the inside.

Photo of Portrait of Wesley Brown
Portrait of Wesley Brown

DESCRIBING: A vertical photograph, taken July 7, 2022
DESCRIPTION: Wes is a white man, in his late 50s, with white hair styled in a quiff, which means short on the sides and long on the top. He also has a white mustache and white eyebrows. His skin color is a pinkish tan. He is wearing an orange shirt with a NOAH logo on it, with NOAH standing for the National Organization for Albinism and Hypopigmentation, but in this cropped image, the logo can no longer be seen. Also not apparent from this image is his large stature; Wes is nearly 6-foot-5 inches tall. He is smiling and said he wants to be known as a "nice, decent guy, who is confident, and may know what he is doing."

Want to dig deeper into the research?

As a way to build the Audio Description community, we also openly share our research

By using this site, you agree to follow our Terms, Conditions, License, Privacy Policy, and Research Protocols.