Permission Request Language
When requesting permission to reproduce a visual resource in a publication, authors can promote access to that image by requesting description already created and maintained by the rights holder. Many arts organizations produce professional description of visual resources for internal and educational purposes.
The following language may be used or modified for a permission request letter:
For the purpose of providing access to readers who are blind, partially sighted, or otherwise print disabled, the work will contain language describing the image.
If you or your organization develops or maintains language describing the image, please include it in your response.
Sample Permission Request Letter
When advising authors on the permissions request process, editors can promote access to visual resources by educating authors on description, and encouraging them to seek existing description when requesting permission to reproduce an image.
If you offer authors a sample permission request letter, you can incorporate a request for description directly into that letter. The following permission request letter may be used or modified:
As the author/editor of the forthcoming book, [TITLE], I am responsible for clearing and paying for all rights and permissions with the advice and support of the [PRESS].
I would like to include in this work the following image which you appear to hold the rights for:
[IMAGE to be reproduced]
To make this work easily available to scholars, I am requesting non-exclusive publishing rights for using the requested material in this book and in any excerpts of this book, regardless of the media, territories, and languages in which it is distributed and displayed.
The work will include acknowledgement of your ownership/authorship of the material. If you have a preferred credit line, please include it in your response.
For the purpose of providing access to readers who are blind, partially sighted, or otherwise print disabled, the work will contain language describing the image. If you or your organization maintains language describing the image, please include it in your response. I am requesting permission to reproduce any description you supply in any part of the work, including but not limited to specially coded sections of the digital work that are accessible via assistive technology (e.g. “alt text”).
Promoting Reuse of Existing Description
If you develop and maintain language describing the visual resources to which you hold or manage the rights, you can promote the accessibility of those visual resources by supplying descriptive language when responding to requests to reproduce visual resources. The following sample statement may be used or modified:
[ORGANIZATION] encloses the following description of the image to aid [AUTHOR] in providing access to readers who are blind, partially sighted, or otherwise print disabled.
This description may be reproduced in any part of the work, including but not limited to specially coded sections of the digital work that are accessible via assistive technology (e.g. “alt text”).
[Credit for this description should appear as follows:_____________________________.]
[DESCRIPTION]