More Accessible Captions are On the Way!

A new rule adopted on July 18 by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) requires television and video captioning display settings to be easier to access within two years.

One of the most common hot-button issues we hear within our HLAA community is frustration about how hard it is to find and adjust captioning display settings.

So many of us with hearing loss spend far too much time in trial-and-error mode looking for those elusive settings to help us understand speech, dialog and sound effects, and customize the text size, font, color and other features. It can seem like an endless, exasperating game of hide and seek…and seek…and seek! How often have you missed most of a TV show or news report while clicking on multiple buttons and adjustment settings without success?

“Thankfully, the FCC has finally taken action to ensure that captions are easier to find and program for people who benefit from this technology,” said HLAA Executive Director Barbara Kelley. “This is a huge win on behalf of those we advocate for in the hearing loss community.”

On July 18, the FCC unanimously passed a rule requiring TV manufacturers and multichannel video programming distributors (e.g., cable, satellite) to make caption settings “readily accessible.” That means the Commission will look at the following factors to determine compliance: proximity, discoverability, previewability, consistency and persistence. Entities must comply within two years of publication in the Federal Register, which is expected in the coming months.

This new requirement is the result of a multi-year effort by HLAA and other groups to improve access to captions, which are essential to consumers with hearing loss and other disabilities. We collaborated with NCTA – The Internet and Television Association, National Association of the Deaf (NAD), TDIforAccess, Inc. and Communication Services for the Deaf (CSD) to file a proposal and submit comments to move the issue forward.

Advocacy takes time and HLAA is in it for the long game. We are heartened by this FCC rule and appreciate the Commissioners’ comments acknowledging our work along with NCTA and the other consumer groups. Fortunately, we won’t be playing hide and seek with captions much longer!

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