CCAC = CAPTIONING ACTIVISM + COMMUNITY
ARE YOU ASKING FOR CAPTIONING YOU NEED AND DESERVE? IF YES, GREAT. IF NO, WHY NOT? ASK US TO HELP YOU.
THANKS TO CCAC MEMBER AND DISCUSSIONS IN THE CCAC MEMBERS’ FORUM ONLINE – GREAT ADVOCACY! https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/man-with-hearing-loss-could-not-communicate-with-paramedics-in-masks-221109943.html
Captioning when and where you need it! (Massage)
ADVOCACY FOR QUALITY CAPTIONING UNIVERSALLY is the CCAC Mission. CAPTION the World Now – it’s not only for deaf and hard of hearing.
The COLLABORATIVE FOR COMMUNICATION ACCESS VIA CAPTIONING (CCAC) is a large grass-roots official 501(c)3 non-profit (charity), all volunteers. Every day, we advocate, educate, raise awareness. participate, mentor, respond, create, and inspire others to ask for quality captioning wherever needed. We offer Grants for Live Captioning, invite collaborations for new captioning advocacy projects, maintain a useful CCAC Member Forum, answer questions and send out information on social media, update these webpages, and more. What do you need?
CCAC creates captioning advocacy campaigns for quality captioning on all media, streams, and live events. Public events must be accessible. Tell us your ideas for a new captioning advocacy project, small or large – tell us soon.
“BENEFITS OF CAPTIONING INCLUSION” – Sing it! Share it! Talking points for captioning advocacy. Captions boost:
1. Learning to read—with text, in the classroom, on television, and online. Literacy gets a boost with captions on.
2. Learning a new language with captions on.
3. Translations for audiences using other languages.
4. You have an immediate written transcript—no need for note-taker or flawless memory.
5. Productivity of workers in many settings, e.g. with different accents, poor acoustics, or mumbling communications.
6. Managing a good life with autism, tinnitus, auditory perceptual differences and other disabilities that benefit from captions on.
7. Reaching larger markets—for search engine optimization, captioning is a vital ingredient to maximize readership and communicate or do business online.
The “power of captioning” is a compelling concept.
8. Used by so many in noisy areas (sports bars, crowded public places like airports, etc.) and in quiet areas too (libraries, classrooms, at home).
9. To have the full TEXT: Downloading the SRT file (subrip subtitle file) and converting to text is valuable also! E.G. to study the content, referencing information in the text, for others who want to read, learn, share, etc. Quality CC vital here also of course.
10. To “speak to” millions and millions of people with hearing loss or deafness!
11. To allow relaxation after a day struggling to hear with hearing aids and implants…captioning is relaxing for millions also.
2020: Good summary of benefits and uses of quality CAPTIONING for all ages, from dot.com: https://www.3playmedia.com/2017/06/02/how-accessible-content-can-reach-a-wider-audience/
FOR LIVE EVENT CAPTIONING, it’s a question of equality and inclusion – if Captioning is what any one person needs for equal communication access, you can be sure there are others in any audience who will use and benefit from quality captioning, including many hearing people. Inclusion means participation, larger audiences, and helping everyone understand how widespread hearing loss actually is.
Find several model advocacy letters on our webpages. If you need a different one, email and we’ll help you write one. Advocate! If not you, who? We do it, but it needs you too.
MANY DIFFERENT SORTS OF CAPTIONING ADVOCACY WE DO IN THE CCAC ARE TOO MANY TO LIST HERE. SOME EXAMPLES FOLLOW.
FEBRUARY 2019 – COURT CASE FOR THEATER CAPTIONING Captioning: https://www.leagle.com/decision/infdco20180419c21?fbclid=IwAR196uRvvBnagG3X9e7F-zZDQ_oTYWR2CeCIBo3a4YixnwPeR9EmGa0sTEI
Many are now advocating for Theaters across the USA to provide live captioning for performances. Even small theaters are encouraged to learn more now about access, and the ADA. There are various ways to do theater captioning, and another resource with good information is TDF with many years of good experience helping many across the USA – https://www.tdf.org/nyc/44/National-Open-Captioning
DECEMBER 2018 – CAPTIONING IS OUR LANGUAGE – FOR HEARING PEOPLE TOO: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1D-8WtTJYZpl0tdvKcVrp__Nyu9HJpMukCOhlre-3Y2Q/edit
HEARING LOSS IS A MAJOR PUBLIC HEALTH CONCERN – 50 million Americans and millions more globally. One in 5 people, all ages, on average. Dr. Frank Lin’s (John’s Hopkins) 2011 study: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/media/releases/one_in_five_americans_has_hearing_loss
AUG 2018 – New resource for Machine Captioning – Auto-Captioning – Let us know if you have machine systems to add to this link: https://bit.ly/auto-captioning
NOV 2017: #LiveCCLiveVidsNow! Facebook Live Streams need Live Captioning. Use this hashtag all over the place, on FB, Twitter, anyplace it fits. Leave comments, contact FB, and let us know if you do. #LiveCCLiveVidsNow! Any questions?
NOV 2016: CONGRATS TO EVERETT, WA AND CCAC MEMBER VICTOR for this news for access to GOVERNMENT MEETINGS: https://everettwa.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=712
FIRST CAPTION STUDIES CONFERENCE ACCOMPLISHED- AUGUST 1-2 2016. FREE, ONLINE REAL TIME, AND A SUCCESS.
Image of 3 of 6 Panel members plus 2 Sign Language Interpreters and white box with black text of LIVE EVENT CAPTIONING ONLINE
AIR TRAVEL ACCESS CAPTIONING ADVOCACY CONTINUES – http://ccacaptioning.org/captioning-transportation/
JUNE 2016 – New Video – CCAC Invited Webinar with HLAA – Let’s Talk Captioning! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oa2XnGT0io8&feature=youtu.be
MAY 2016 – International Live Event Captioning Survey authored by CCAC president with IFHOH.
Playing globally, the CCAC Film with this article – use it! This is a good advocacy article that was published when the Film was first distributed: https://ccacblog.wordpress.com/2017/03/30/dont-leave-us-out-captioning-counts/, and the video alone https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w91A_nB4rx0 – please tell us if you find the film and article helpful.
CCAC SPOKE DIRECTLY TO YOUTUBE/GOOGLE PROJECT MANAGER FOR CC ON VIDEOS. DISCUSSED QUALITY, DECEMBER 2015.
TELEVISION: HOW TO MAKE A COMPLAINT WHEN NEEDED. MAKING A COMPLAINT is good advocacy!
a. Talk to the TV station directly first (your local affiliate); all TV in the USA is required by law to have a contact email for this sort of problem. E.G. for Fox TV, go to http://www.fox.com/
CAPTIONING ADVOCACY IN USA CONGRESS –DECEMBER 2015. CCAC ADVOCACY LETTER TO PUSH THIS ALONG FOR ALL WEB ACCESS WITH QUALITY CAPTIONING. SEND TO YOUR OWN SENATORS PLEASE, THIS OR YOUR OWN MESSAGE. SEEKING UPDATES FROM SENATORS.
2017 AND 2018 CCAC CAPS (CAPTIONING ADVOCACY PROJECTS) INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING – VOLUNTEERS INVITED! NEW PROJECTS INVITED! THIS CCAC WEBSITE WITH MANY PAGES OF INFORMATION IS CAPTIONING ADVOCACY 24/7. JOIN THE CCAC AND PARTICIPATE IN THE FORUM TOO!
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- CCAC GRANTS FOR LIVE EVENT CAPTIONING – MONEY! to educate, raise awareness and make captioning inclusion happen, http://ccacaptioning.org/ccac-sponsorship-for-cart-a-new-captioning-advocacy-program/
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- CAPTIONS CAPTURE THE VOTES Campaign to encourage all government leaders on all levels to make their messages and live events accessible with quality captioning. http://ccacaptioning.org/captions-capture-the-votes/
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- MEDIA – VIDEO – CAPTIONING ADVOCACY all over the place. One example – CCAC talked with YOUTUBE/GOOGLE directly. Every day, volunteers contact video content owners and live streamers on social meia to use Quality CC. Media and now Live Events online are part of life!
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- AIR TRAVEL ACCESS campaign, info on http://ccacaptioning.org/captioning-transportation/ – CCAC confers directly with USA DOT and we hope to see this develop in 2017 further. Let’s fly with this! – UPDATES ON THIS ANYONE?
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- CAPTIONING TRAINING INFORMATION: https://docs.google.com/document/d/144wc5uxvxjjnvB-akUcs3V1Sj15Q8PDKqbLP7IMYg8A/edit
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- CCAC MOVIE – WE ARE THE CCAC – ENJOY – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5cTKUxgG2M
- CCAC FIRST FILM BEING USED GLOBALLY – DON’T LEAVE US OUT! – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-epg4K7e50Q
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- GOVERNMENT MEETINGS NEED LIVE CAPTIONING – ONSITE AND ONLINE. City council to state level to national – quality CC required.
- Ongoing smaller captioning advocacy by many CCAC members every day!
USE AND SHARE MANY ARTICLES AND VIDEOS ON THIS PAGE AND ON THE “RESOURCES” PAGE – WITH ATTRIBUTION TO THE CCAC PLEASE! USING OUR MAIN WEB ADDRESS, HTTP://CCACAPTIONING.ORG – THANK YOU!
NEW SHORT VIDEOS FOR ANY SORT OF CAPTIONING ADVOCACY INVITED – LET’S TALK.
Reminder of these articles about benefits of Captioning:
About Live Event Captioning: http://hearinghealthmatters.org/hearingviews/2013/the-proven-benefits-of-real-time-captioning-should-be-available-to-all/ is a report of the CCAC survey (see link on this website along top of page)
For Media Captioning: http://www.d.umn.edu/itss/classroom/captioning/why.html and also http://www.d.umn.edu/itss/news/2016/04/captioning.html
OUR NEW BOOK EDUCATES, ADVOCATES, RAISES AWARENESS ABOUT HEARING LOSS – “YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE DEAF TO LOVE CAPTIONING” – Order your copy now to support the CCAC and all the amazing citizen advocacy done by members. Go to http://tinyurl.com/nw2vqpm for the slim and easy-to-read paperback, or to http://www.amazon.com/dp/B012HPA8B6 for an economical e-version.
CCAC MEDIA – see also the CCAC YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/CCACORG/videos, e.g. 2015 Advocacy Video – About Captioning – Video with president of CCAC – Share it widely for advocacy please. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePa9Ly-0nco and CCAC Film Playing Globally: “Don’t Leave Me Out!” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-epg4K7e50Q&feature=youtu.be and more on the YouTube Channel of CCAC.
August 2015: CCAC among first to contact CDC re new report about disability that ignores hearing loss and deafness (!) in reported statistics. Not acceptable! Join the CCAC to follow discussion in our large membership forum online, or follow on Facebook. Individual and Organizational collaborations welcome as always.
July 2015: CCAC sends LETTER OF SUPPORT at request of colleagues in Nepal. Email us or join CCAC to learn more.
MEDIA: CCAC working with White House folks to get back Quality Captioning on all videos they put online, on own page and on YouTube also – quality counts, from day one please.
CCAC helps AXSChat.com use Quality Captioning from day one of new videos online weekly – congrats to the team there and many thanks to the CCAC volunteer doing this!
CCAC member Gael Hannan article: Captioning is Ecstasy! Enjoy http://hearinghealthmatters.org/betterhearingconsumer/2015/the-ecstasy-of-seeing-the-words/#comment-18572
SHOW US THE CAPTIONS! CINEMA CAPTIONING ADVOCACY CONTINUES IN 2017 WITH FACEBOOK PAGE AND RESOURCES ON CCAC WEBSITE.
WORLDWIDE MEDIA ONLINE – OFTEN NOT ACCESSIBLE! TALK TO THE NYTimes, The Guardian, and many others have no captioning on all videos they show online. Wrong!
Thanks to CCAC advocacy about NYTimes, Yahoo.com started to caption many NEW YORK TIMES videos! URL: https://screen.yahoo.com/new-
Here’s a model or sample captioning advocacy letter for your use, for anyone, with your changes:
Dear NYTimes,
How much longer do millions have to wait for access to your online videos? Whom to talk to there directly please? Videos online need quality CC (not machine) ASAP.. We’ve been trying to reach your communications department, video department, and others, without any replies other than the same one line we got two years ago, i.e. “that’s an interesting question.”
***CCAC sends Letter of Support for New Zealand Captioning Working Group for legislation there for captioning on media – we get two good replies! Every effort adds to local energies, the important ones, and NZ has wonderful local advocates who tell us “at least you got a reply!” – to be continued….By the way, election coming up in NZ also!
Happy to thank NCRA’s journal editor for publishing our Captioning Culture article in their national magazine. See an earlier versionj of it in the CCAC blog here: http://ccacblog.wordpress.com/2013/11/03/captioning-culture-yes-we-are/
CAPTIONING ADVOCACY PANEL PRESENTATION AT TDI-ALDA CONFERENCE, OCTOBER 2013: Transcript now prepared for your reading pleasure – all about captioning advocacy: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1G9lISxxDykewxjAKMUXgRmd2pyf2R_-kHStCuONCVog/edit
Captioning Advocacy article, one of several! Your comments welcome via email to CCACaptioning@gmail.com: https://usodep.blogs.govdelivery.com/2012/06/13/dont-leave-us-out/
HOW TO BECOME ACCESSIBLE AND INCLUSIVE WITH CAPTIONING
CCAC is asked this question many times, “How can CCAC help non-profits and small businesses move forward toward full inclusion of quality captioning for all their media (e.g. videos, webinars) and also for inclusion of real time captioning (aka RTC, CART, STTR, Text Interpreting) for their public events?”
Professional captioning services, for media, or real time for meetings and events, cost money. They are not over- costly however! It needs a budget line in planning, as does anything worthwhile. Planning for accessibility, required by law in many cases, needs to be a “first thought” for any business or group, and not an “afterthought.” Create a budget for this. How? Fundraising in the usual ways, or new creative ways. It can be done!
There are volunteers who offer captioning in some selected areas, and for some selected groups and needs. That is a “luxury” that some providers are able to share sometimes. You can look for a volunteer always, yet in general, professional providers deserve to make a living and earn fair pay. They are trained, experienced, certified, and most helpful in all preparations and planning with you, as well as during the event.
Most of the world uses YouTube videos online (or Vimeo, or similar). There are free automatic machine-generated speech-to-text “captions” or “subtitles” you can have on most videos there. However (!) for the most part, those are jumbled and not accurate text. One needs to edit and correct them before making them public, and that is free also, and not hard to learn. YT and others have tutorials online. Just search.
Another simple answer? Join the CCAC. Ask your questions, discuss solutions, and find answers you need to create your plan for inclusion with quality captioning. When you can, support the CCAC, the “mother” of captioning advocacy organizations. While many groups advocate for captioning, others have broader goals and agenda. The CCAC is the first community with the sole mission of captioning advocacy, locally, and internationally.
The CCAC mission from day one – inclusion of quality captioning universally. This means everywhere needed, or as some say, everything. CCAC is the only official non-profit captioning advocacy organization. It inspires others also, to shout about captioning in new ways, both for-profit companies, and other volunteers, locally and globally. The more the better. We encourage all to use the CCAC as a hub for sharing information, inspiring even more new advocates by example and collaboration.
NEW RESOURCE – ADVOCACY AND EDUCATION – READ “OUR CAPTIONING CULTURE“ https://ccacblog.wordpress.com/2013/11/03/captioning-culture-yes-we-are/
2013: New CCAC member says, “My daughter is deaf and has a cochlear Implant. She is very frustrated that movies and some internet content is not captioned. I am also concerned that captioning is not routinely available in travel and healthcare settings. I applaud your mission!”
CCAC member says, “The CCAC web, blog, and members’ forum inspired us to try to get CART for (our community) and the CCAC film helped make it possible! We showed the film to our Board of Directors to raise support and funds. Thank you CCAC!” (March 2013)
CCAC Member says, “I started our fight (for equal access in education with CART) four years ago before I joined CCAC…(however) …it is very lonely going up against a school district, so being able to read the posts from CCAC members kept reminding me this was a just and worthy cause and therefore it kept me encouraged to keep at it.”
CCAC Member says, “CCAC members inspired me to get CART for our Sunday morning worship services which our church currently has.”
More selected CCAC resources, articles, campaigns, actions, and activities:
January 2014 Radio Captioning Update and Success! Kudos to the CCAC member who initiated this great example of advocacy and inclusion – hooray! for our advocacy community http://us7.campaign-archive1.com/?u=1d13ec6ae318bd4d00cbee6f9&id=ec70217070&e=4021d1ad82
As a result of CCAC member advocacy, this list of resources now mentions CART (real time captioning) – kudos to them for listening! If CART and captioning not in main listings, you are not serving all deaf, deafened, and people with hearing loss, see item copied here — thank you to CCAC members!
Resources on a State Government Page – and yours?
International Media Campaign – CCAC Film “Don’t Leave Me Out!”
Find the tab along top of the page to play the film for you and your groups:
FLYER FOR AIR TRAVEL ACCESS – USED EARLIER IN GOOD CAPTIONING ADVOCACY. IN 2016 THE DOT ISSUED SOME NEW RULES. PROGRESS! THANKS TO MANY ADVOCATES!
See also http://www.flyfriendlyskies.com/pdf-docs/2010_AAPR_Letter_DOT-Captioning-Subtitles__03-23-10.pdf for earlier advocacy related to this, and CCAC support for recent Senate Bill 556, as above with .
CCAC advocacy success – 2 CCAC members are happy to report captioning inclusion for these important videos online – from a program in Ireland teaching about Disability and the Law, attracting students from many different countries. With special thanks to the Center there for their interest, communications with the CCAC, and accomplishments! Seehttp://www.nuigalway.ie/cdlp/
ALL CONFERENCES NEED CAPTIONING – live event captioning.
2016: President of the CCAC helped write and distribute the IFHOH Survey about live event captioning. Good responses globally.
April 2013: Did you hear about the CCAC member who advocated and achieved captions for this viral video? Thanks for inclusion! See http://realbeautysketches.dove.us/
TWO VERY IMPORTANT ACTION ALERTS: USA Senate Bills Asking for Your Support: (1) Time is now to support new Senate Bill 555 for Cinema Captioning Advocacy. Send your letter: http://www.opencongress.org/bill/113-s555/show – Let’s have letters from CCAC members in up to 50 great States across the USA, and (2) Local and international input invited for Senate Bill 556 for Air Travel Access with captioning. Many letters of support please! http://www.opencongress.org/bill/113-s556/show – do it now! These are two separate bills.
CCAC published two new reports – use and distribute for raising awareness: CCAC REPORTS: http://tinyurl.com/bnw74vb and http://tinyurl.com/d6cff2o to use for your own advocacy! The Case for Captioning and the Benefits of Captioning. If you share, please let us know.
HIGH PRIORITY – INTERNET ACCESS – CCAC members regularly contact news media re captioning for their videos online. MSNBC/NBC was the first broadcaster online to show us captioning (as far as we know). CNN and Fox are reported to include captioning now (April 2013). Below are more details and updates. As one CCAC member says, “the tide is turning.” We hope so! Not a sea of access, yet perhaps a few rolling rivers to include us. Captioning is our language.
(We stop numbering here…too many! Join us and learn more soon.)
From a commercial source – with updates by CCAC – makes sense to caption media and plan for real time captioning for meetings, conferences, community events,and more, because:
- Up to 20% of the US population has a hearing loss or a form of deafness (close to 50 million now), and online videos will attract many more if accessible with captioning.
- 2 billion people who use English as a Second Language (ESL) welcome captions as well, especially in quiet viewing environments like offices, planes, and late-night studies. Ditto for your language in your country – all countries!
- Many households are bi-lingual – up to 16% or more, depending on the region. It pays to use captioning in the country’s primary language for all.
- 49% increase in completed video views – with captions vs. without captions – was measured by WETA, a PBS station in Washington, DC.
August 2013 – CCAC members continue to contact internet media companies (e.g. BBC and PBS) online, re lack of captioning on some videos. OPRAH and AARP are also contacted about lack of access with captioning for new series of videos about family caregiving.
New vlog distributed on social media with sign language only about “deaf” issues. CCAC asks for captioning so millions more can be included. SL Users are not all deaf – we are mega-millions of people who are also oral, deafened, or have a hearing loss and captioning is our language. We are excluded if only SL is used.
April 2013 – Good progress in Greece for television captioning and some on the Internet also. Introduction of TV captioning is a major step forward for the region and congratulations to CCAC members and others there.
April 2013 – CCAC member advocated to MLB.TV and informs us that it now has captioning online! Batter up, it’s the season!
March 2013– CCAC contacts Wall Street Journal (WSJ) to advocate for captioning on all news videos online. Want to help? Join the CCAC now (free membership) to see letter and create your own also as soon as you can, important!
CNN now has some cc online! See http://edition.cnn.com/?refresh=1 for an example today (4/4/13), find small “cc” lower right, click on English. Any updates to share anyone about “live” videos (from TV) on Internet at same time with cc also?
FOX news may have cc also – update anyone?.
PBS – May 9, 2013 – Renewed advocacy to PBS by CCAC members. PBS not captioning certain programs since “not required to by the law.” Does PBS get federal funding? Does it need to caption everything? We enjoy PBS programs, like none others, yet they do not appear to be creating access for all in due speed, even if it’s tangential to the letter of the ADA and newer CVAA. Comments? Communicate with the CCAC anytime – email ccacaptining@gmail.com
Another PBS positive report: CCAC member reported gaps with captioning on PBS online (news or entertainment, not sure?) and got good reply. Problem solved! Do all the news videos from PBS online have good subtitles? PBS includes cc for television entertainments moved to the Internet (as per new law) – what about news? Info needed.
Re PBS – CCAC member on the ball to advocate, see this model letter and be inspired: …I am a deaf consumer who uses closed captions, both online and offline. I heard WETA HD was going to broadcast “Finding Kalman” today, 4/7/2013, in honor of Holocaust Remembrance Day, but as I do not have cable, I decided to see this evening if it was available online. To my dismay, when I located it (http://watch.thirteen.org/
April 2013: BBC News Online is contacted by CCAC members. CCAC member in the UK requests captioning advocacy, and it fits into general CCAC advocacy for Internet access via quality captioning. The sample video selected for advocacy: http://www.bbc.co.uk/
Send CCAC a contact name, email address, and the message you are sending them about importance of captioning – for any other major broadcasters online if you care about captioning inclusion and equal rights, in all countries.
CCAC Members Send Letter of Support for Captioning Support in Ireland – CCAC is international. Collaborations make sense. Results above. Success!
CCAC Member Success: Better Homes and Gardens Online Videos now have captioning.
CCAC Member Success: National Gallery in London changed name of “Deaf Events” page to “Deaf and Hearing Loss” and will include news about live speech-to-text events also (looks like they changed it again to “hard of hearing” instead of “hearing loss,” not our preference, yet at least inclusive now!
CCAC Member continues active advocacy to NASA to include access with captioning – join the CCAC now to offer your ideas.
CCAC Member speaking to Conference in WA State re inclusion of CART.
CaptionMatch.com, a service of the CCAC, is speaking with member about captioning important international video online.
CaptionMatch.com successful with CCAC member and provider in obtaining CART for international conference.
CCAC Comments to FCC about IP Caption Telephones, see http://apps.fcc.gov/ecfs/document/view?id=7022123769
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CCAC is active on social media (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn) to raise awareness, distribute information, and invite new members to join the CCAC organization. That is all part of advoacy we do also. These informal and “social” discussions offer us ideas too. Note that on Facebook, CCAC has three pages now. The most active is the purely social CCACaptioning. Second one is the CCAC organization page. Newest page is for CaptionMatch, a service of the CCAC.
CCAC membership is where captioning advocacy “action” accomplishes things best! It’s not only social, it’s action in the membership community.
Advocacy aims to create growing global awareness that captioning is a language that is vital and required by millions for all the reasons listed below, and for participation by all in all societies.
March 2013: CCAC Survey and Research Report is ready for distribution. See tab along top of page, and find a published article, worth reading, here: http://hearinghealthmatters.org/hearingviews/2013/the-proven-benefits-of-real-time-captioning-should-be-available-to-all/
CCAC COMMENTS TO FCC RE IP CAPTION CALLING, http://apps.fcc.gov/ecfs/document/view?id=7022123769
MODEL ADVOCACY LETTER HERE: We ask for notification please if you use this letter, and if you mention the CCAC we require review of your draft before distribution, thanks. See model below and offer your own for distribution among CCAC members. Many contact the CCAC regularly for guidance and assistance. See the CCAC blog also, e.g. review comments here http://ccacblog.wordpress.com/2013/03/11/do-you-ask-for-captioning-or-cart-of-course/.
Dear Mr. or Ms. or ABC, e.g. Organization Leader, Company Officer, or Foundation,
I am writing to you as someone who confronts communication barriers daily, and also on behalf of (if you have requested CCAC permission to say this…) The Collaborative for Communication Access via Captioning (CCAC), to register our strong support for the inclusion of quality captioning for (your event here).
(If you prefer to do this without mention of the CCAC, totally fine also! Of course you will use your own greeting or letterhead, and re-phrase it for yourself. Keep in mind that even if you advocate as an individual and for yourself alone, you are helping many others at the same time, directly or indirectly. Group support, from your local group or from the CCAC, is often beneficial also).
As stated in CCAC’s mission statement (see http://ccacaptioning.org): “MILLIONS globally need captions and subtitles every day!” Undoubtedly, the greatest need for captioning is for those who are deaf, deafened, and have hearing loss, since seeing speech is our way of understanding and participating in the world. However, the benefit of providing quality captioning doesn’t end there. Captioning benefits those in need of translation, it strengthens reading and language skills, and provides a base for online search and transcripts.
We believe it is important for most everyday meetings and gatherings open to the public – real time captioning, done “on site” during the meeting, or provided “remotely” using a connection to the provider via the Internet. Captioning on all Internet media is equally vital now and it makes sense in the long run.
We encourage you to set a standard of equal access for others in our communities to follow.
I learned about your events from abc………and became interested immediately. I am eager to participate and see what I may be able to contribute in the future. (Add anything else about yourself that makes the meeting or event important for you. Tell a good story.)
In case of interest, we find that some people think that all of us with hearing loss and deafness use sign language, when in reality, only a small percentage do (often those who are born deaf or those working in deaf services). Among about 50 million Americans now (use your own country numbers here), roughly 95% do not use sign language and benefit from captioning inclusion. Deaf citizens who are fluent in English also use captioning to advantage in many situations.
(If this is a request for video or media captioning on the Internet, add, e.g.)
There are so many valuable videos on the Internet today, with new ones offered for public viewing every day. At the same time, quality captioning is needed. We are the public too.
If only automatic captioning (cc) is selected, the machine system is just not good enough yet. You can find some amusing (or frightening) examples on YouTube now for example (e.g. where “deaf” is shown as “death.”).
A “value” and “economic” investment to use quality captioning, from a qualified provider of your choice, will be well worth it in the long term. Captioning can be translated into many languages, and also boost your online audiences (search engines find you much more readily).
Your investment will also work to remove the barriers of an increasingly complex and competitive world, allowing those who cannot communicate in traditional ways to participate, contribute and compete on the same level as everyone else. Quality captioning enables millions to remain independent and vital in a world that too easily justifies excluding them by placing more value on the monetary aspect of what a thing costs, rather than on what providing it accomplishes.
Seen in this light, we believe quality captioning is a bargain, and as a person who has lived with hearing loss and deafness for decades, I consider accessibility through captioning to be priceless, as do the millions of others with hearing loss who are excluded from participating when captioning isn’t provided.
I look forward to your replies and consideration of this request. It’s not only for myself, but also for others who are most interested in equal access for all citizens.
Sincerely,
(Your Name)
Captioning Advocate
(If you want to include CCAC support, with prior permission only)
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Earlier CCAC Advocacy: Selected Examples Only
1. Advocacy for Internet Captioning started in the CCAC from early days in late 2009 when the CCAC was started. .
2. CCAC member advocacy with successful inclusion of captions for commercials (advertisements) on television from GEICO, major company.
2a. CCAC member and friend instrumental for access via of quality Captioning for internet advertising! See http://www.bravehearts.com/ and say kudos to all involved. This is a first as far as we know. (First videos on this KEDS campaign had good cc. Not able to find cc on newer videos. Input invited).
3. New discussions and advocacy concerning access for Air Travel – see Transportation article on this site under Resources tab. Open main page, go down to Transportation, and then Air Travel. Send us additional information. One good report online here: http://synergy-emusic.com/ada.airports.html http://synergy-emusic.com/ada.airports.html – Be sure to see action alerts on top of this page!
4. Query about captioning (CART) for braille solicits quick international information and study in progress. Join and support the CCAC organization to participate in ongoing advocacy via the members’ forum online. Membership form is found on this website.
5. CCAC Blog nominated for award for best blog about hearing loss and access.
6. CCAC new article on Why People Do Not Ask For Captioning to be published in the Hearing Journal in March 2013. Update, see http://journals.lww.com/thehearingjournal/blog/breakingnews/pages/post.aspx?PostID=14 and please distribute widely. Inquiries welcome.
7. CCAC invited to speak at national conference.
8. CCAC speaking with colleagues about Cinema Access internationally – offering information and fostering new connections.
9. Informal CCAC meet-ups in person planned for February and March in Europe. All welcome to email with interest. (e.g. London,UK and Ireland are potential meet ups).
10 New from November 2012 – help us get this growing and known globally please – CCAC founder created and launched CaptionMatch.com to facilitate the goals of the CCAC for inclusion of captioning universally. CaptionMatch aims to make it easier for anyone to ask for captioning at any time, and offers providers another place to offer services. CaptionMatch is not a captioning company. It’s a clearinghouse. Please go to the website now to read more — >> http://captionmatch.com. Register, then ask for any sort of captioning (or CART/STTR) soon or for timely advance planning during any month of the year. It is also international. See the site for some good examples. Using CaptionMatch supports CCAC volunteer advocacy activities.
11. Interest in “academic” programs for captioning – what’s happening in the USA? Training and education of many more captioners and CART providers needed globally!
In Italy, there are 3 programs; 1 in London (Imperial College, see http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/humanities/translationgroup) and all emphasizing language and translation, along with audio-visual, media, and some captioning (subtitling) course work as well.
http://info.metav.unipr.it/ is one of the 3 in Italy; others are http://www.ssit.unibo.
More in the UK found online: Post Graduate course in Audio Visual Translation at University of Roehampton (UK) http://www.roehampton.ac.uk/
There is also: http://www.city.ac.uk/courses/
and (expired course, might be renewed?) http://www.city.ac.uk/courses/
In Canada, a non-degree program has been mentioned to us, see http://www.verbatimstudies.
12. March 2013 – Two new captioning advocacy projects, one for theater captioning and one for captioning for videos in education, both international. Updates to be discussed in CCAC members’ forum online.
News: CCAC pleased to be listed now in the NIDCD – Directory of Organizations: www.nidcd.nih.gov/directory/detailed.asp?id=222
A CCAC survey indicates highest interest in more advocacy for captioning all media online – videos, live presentations, radio. CCAC calls this broad category of life Internet/Telecommunications. Why is this a major need? CCAC believes it’s because so many of us go to the Internet every day! Every voice counts!
When the new USA legislation (CVAA) was created, many knew (years ago) that there were major gaps for Internet access for millions who need captioning and need it now. Today, while the law is still rolling out, louder voices join in aiming to raise awareness and advocate for full Internet captioning.
If we remain energetic, and find new ways to work together, in the CCAC for captioning advocacy, the sole focus, and with all groups who speak rationally about inclusion of all. For some background, read on COAT here – http://coataccess.org/node/9776 – where the movement all began with cheers to all group members of COAT, including CCAC.
New document about CVAA and implementation of captioning online here from 9 November 2012: http://ncam.wgbh.org/about/
Re Internet things in the UK – member of CCAC offers this information for “streaming on demand” (Internet): access services for video on demand in the UK via the ATVOD website here:http://www.atvod.co.uk/
CCAC invites information from other countries regarding Internet captioning as it develops (and hopefully is “universal” sooner rather than later).
TALK to the CCAC soon. Member or not, share your advocacy in the CCAC, a hub of information and captioning advocacy activities. It’s worth the time. Send us your news, re-tweet and share ours and we’ll do the same.
CCAC Government Video Online Captioning Advocacy Project
All government videos online must have quality captioning. Join CCAC members now working on this new project. See, for examples, DoE and several others. Email with your interest and questions, or join CCAC now (free membership).
HOT NEWS: CCAC Advocacy Success: Video captioned. More to do, and they will. Thanks from CCAC!
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Facebook Videos – 22 November 2012 – New CCAC CAP starting out of Asia-Pacific Region, due to lack of cc on Consulate video on Facebook. This video is not on YouTube, and seems a “Facebook” video – also seems there is no cc feature. Not only this one, yet all on the site (from governments/consulates, etc.) asked to include communication access via quality captioning ASAP.
2012 Successful Campaign called “Show Us The Captions!” A November 2012 cinema captioning campaign nationally and internationally (December welcome too). Please start your local planning now! Go to the link above to get started and see listing of locations. Email us. Thanks to ALDA-Chicago for initiating the campaign with the CCAC, and others joining and collaborating! (e.g. HLAA groups). Goals include promoting captioning to moviegoers who don’t know their theater has it; demonstrating real needs for access with captioning to theater owners; raising awareness about inclusion and accessibility issues for general public; and saying thanks to participating. Everyone invited. Plan now!
How to Advocate? Best ways to advocate are frequently in discussion among CCAC membership. Learning and sharing approaches, letters, and frustrations good to do! Share your own hints and styles if you join the CCAC or using our public blog. It does make a difference the way requests are made, along with continuing communications.
TWO LINKS FOR SPECIAL FCC COMPLAINT FORMS REGARDING CVAA, THE NEW LAW FOR INTERNET CAPTIONING FROM TELEVISION:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ljhfpSwFHhZ27ntA5bnwD3ijGT7bQJyaxsHc5GTUn3o/edit – also posted on the author’s site, with thanks to CCAC member Mike Chapman, here – http://ncmacasl.blogspot.fr/2012/10/instructions-on-filling-out-cvaa-fcc.html CCAC now an official non-profit organization and inviting energies for fundraising, new projects. CCAC advocates! We need you! There was so much interest and good activity in the CCAC community, growing so quickly, and accomplishing inclusion via captioning (real time in many instances) that CCAC took the plunge into offical status. Join and contribute please. It’s all for you, we millions, and future generations. Don’t be left out.
VUDU device lacks caption feature. Small team investigating now.
Ongoing: Online Focus Groups on Captioning Concerns. Working with Raising the Floor and with a schedule of CCAC meet-ups online, we share ideas and action plans for captioning advocacy of smaller local or larger dimensions.
Ongoing: Irish Deaf Archives Video Captioning Project. Volunteers in CCAC membership caption videos produced by CCAC member. Thanks to all!
Local Planetarium needs captioning. CCAC member in state working on it, using information from membership forum online.
November 2012, for access in Norfolk, Virginia, USA, see this accomplishment creating access for many. Bravo to Angela and Lois, two active CCAC members and advocates (consumer and provider) in that region, along with all helping, collaborating, and drawing inspiration from the CCAC. See this poster:
All of the CCAC CAPs (captioning advocacy projects) above are samples of the sorts of captioning education and advocacy that CCAC members do every day. The CCAC is a “hub” for sharing captioning information, news, and new advocacy. Need CART/STTR? Need captioning in school or at work? Not done it before? Need some guidance on how to ask for it, find it? Talk to the CCAC.
TYPICAL TRUE STORY: CAPTIONING FOR HEARING, HEARING LOSS, DEAF, ALL OF US WHO READ: (from CCAC member in the UK):
Just to add on what Lauren has written above…I am deaf/hard of hearing, bilateral hearing aid wearer and lip reader since childhood illness caused my loss of hearing – I am also Health Professional and having at last discovered this service of Verbatim Steno (Palantype) such as described by Lauren (CART or in UK referred to as STTR (speech to text relay/reporting) it has made a world of difference I can honestly say at last i fully engage with all the meetings I use it for – | use remote service if short meetings and at forums and events that are half day or whole day I have the providers present.
I strongly advocate for this service to be an option for all people who want to have a choice of preferred communication.
An example where hearing people also found it useful was an event recently where I asked for the service for a few I knew in audience would be hard of hearing but would not ask for whatever reason they choose not let anyone know they are deaf/HoH and the benefit of the live verbatim captions (of 200 words a unite which is amazing) on very large plasma screen, at the end of evaluating event people had said ‘thank you’ once they got past the ‘distraction’ they actually found they were using the or referring to the captions often because they couldn’t hear speakers who mumbles spoke to fast or had strong accents and when people were calling out questions from the floor, so hearing people gave it a thumbs up!
I think this is evidence enough to go with not only my experience but also my belief it is a service that benefits all at any large event. And the big praise I give to the amazing palantypist that have he ability not only to hear what many of us cannot so they are transcribing so fast with such concentration many of us couldn’t not match. Thank you to all the great Verbatim palantypist/stenographers out there we need more! There are several services here in UK…. (and in the USA, and in more countries now globally).