Through the power of music, VML and the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development are collaborating with Tennessee's greatest treasure – its songwriters – to write evocative alt text image descriptions for its tourism website to improve accessible travel.
"Sound Sites" is an industry-first initiative that enhances the online travel experience for blind and visually impaired visitors. Learn more here.
Sound Sites
Rewriting what vacation planning means for blind communities
Client
- Tennessee Dept. of Tourist Development
Office
- Kansas City
- Nashville
Who better to describe Tennessee than its most valuable resource.

Mark Ezell
Commissioner, Tennessee Department of Tourist Development
Millions of visually impaired travelers face barriers when exploring online travel destinations due to uninspired, generic alt-text image descriptions. Standard descriptions like “image of a mountain” fail to evoke the beauty and spirit of Tennessee’s landscapes and culture.
Leveraging Tennessee’s legendary musical heritage, the campaign sought to transform accessibility into an evocative experience by partnering with celebrated songwriters to craft poetic alt-text descriptions.
We replaced standard image descriptions on TNVacation.com with beautifully-crafted song lyrics written by award-winning Tennessee songwriters. These lyrical alt-text descriptions allow screen reader users to experience Tennessee’s unmatched beauty, culture and spirit through immersive storytelling rather than generic labels. Visit TNVacation.com/For-All to explore how these lyrical descriptions bring Tennessee’s landscapes and attractions to life.
- Collaboration with 12 iconic songwriters, including Dolly Parton, Billy Montana, Brooks & Dunn’s Kix Brooks, David Tolliver, Michael Farren, Brian Davis, JP Williams and Hilary Williams, among others.
- Industry-first approach to accessibility, setting a new creative standard for inclusive design in tourism.
- Positive feedback from visually impaired travelers who felt connected to Tennessee’s landscapes and culture through poetic storytelling.