Learning Center

"Rockets: How They Work"

In 1962 Congress amended previous legislation authorizing the captioning of entertainment films by passing Public Law 87-715, which added the captioning of educational films. That same year, Rockets: How They Work became the first educational film to be captioned. Indicating that the film was appropriate for the middle grades, the Captioned Films for the Deaf catalog described it as follows: "The film shows how rockets achieve motion and compares rocket power with other types of motive power and gives a clear picture of the basic scientific techniques on which the modern use of rockets is based." A lesson guide for the film was subsequently written in 1969.

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"The Adventures of Willie Skunk"

Silent films had been used prior to 1930 in classrooms with students who were deaf or hard of hearing, but the advent of sound motion pictures made new films inaccessible. One of the first educational films ever captioned (1962), this primary-level film shows a family of skunks and how they live in their natural environment. A lesson guide was written for it and 70 other captioned educational films in 1968 at a DePaul University workshop, and these were printed in a bound volume for distribution across the United States.

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Public Law 87 715

In 1962 Congress amended previous legislation authorizing the captioning of entertainment films by passing Public Law 87-715, which added the captioning of educational films. That same year, the film Rockets: How They Work became the first educational film to be captioned.

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"Rockets: How They Work" Lesson Guide

This lesson guide for the first-ever educational captioned film, Rockets: How They Work, was written at DePaul University (Chicago) in 1968. "Even a good film loses its effectiveness if not used properly." Provides a film summary, purpose of the film, preparation for use of the film, follow-up, and additional resources materials.

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Back to School with DCMP...For Parents!

Pencils ready! Depending on what kind of summer you have had, it is with a sigh of relief (or a groan) that the school year begins anew. So, in preparation for all those school supplies and sleepy eyes–it's quiz time–but this one's for you, parents. What is the name of the high-quality media service geared specifically toward improving the educational experience of your deaf and hard of hearing children? Another hint–it is also convenient, informative, and free!

From Staci Bechard about

Guide to Working with Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students

Would you like a convenient resource for general information about deafness, classroom accommodations, and communication tips? Designed for faculty and staff in secondary, postsecondary, and vocational/employment programs, this pocket-sized handbook can provide information for professionals who don’t have much experience interacting with students who are deaf or hard of hearing. (2007)

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Read Captions Across America

The National Education Association (NEA) annually sponsors an event called Read Across America. Originally created as a one-day celebration of reading on March 2, Dr. Seuss's birthday, the activity has grown into a nationwide initiative that promotes reading every day of the year. The result has been a focus of the country's attention on how important it is to motivate children to read, in addition to helping them master basic skills.

From Bill Stark about

Making Your Productions Accessible

How Captioning and Description Can Benefit You

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Descriptive Children's Television: Bridging the Gap for Blind Kids While Benefiting All Kids

While some research has been conducted about the benefits of description and blind adults, no empirical data have been collected relating to benefits of description for children. In this paper by Melanie Peskoe, literature has been reviewed to discuss (1) the emerging trend toward educational programming for preschool-aged children, (2) the various theories about how children learn, and (3) the implications of description for both blind and sighted children. This paper serves as a foundation for future, needed research on this topic and calls for attention to be paid to both the social impact of description as well as the methods used for deciding when, what, and how to describe.

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Video Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired Population

For 12 million Americans who are blind or visually impaired, 1990 marked a new era promising fuller access to television programming through an innovative service called Descriptive Video developed by Boston public broadcaster, WGBH. This report, written and disseminated by WGBH, overviews the benefits of description and parallels those benefits with those of captioning. For example, the author notes, "Descriptions can also be useful when a viewer is doing several things at once, needs to attend to something, or leaves the room during a program. While these uses are not the original intent of the service, they need to be taken into account when considering the potential audience for and potential benefits of video description." It stands to reason that description can benefit everyone.

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The Described and Captioned Media Program: A Classroom Staple in 21st Century Education

In the last two decades, technology has advanced exponentially. As a result, the Described and Captioned Media Program (DCMP) has adapted to provide needed resources to Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals. As I look back over my career as a teacher of the deaf, I realize that DCMP has always been a critical resource in my classroom, and I am grateful that DCMP has kept up with the winds of change. Whether media arrived in the form of reel-to-reel films, VHS, DVD, or streamed through the internet, DCMP has always been my rock. Today as I work hard to prepare my students for successful 21st -century careers, I find that DCMP is more important than it has ever been.

From Susan Elliott about

The Influence of English Language and Spanish Language Captions on Foreign Language Listening/Reading Comprehension

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of using Spanish captions, English captions, or no captions with a Spanish language soundtrack on intermediate university-level Spanish as a Foreign Language students' listening/reading comprehension. These findings indicate that intermediate-level foreign language students' listening comprehension/reading comprehension can be substantially enhanced via the use of captions in English or Spanish

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Recommend Media to the DCMP

If you would like to recommend media for captioning, description, ASL, or inclusion into the DCMP library, simply print this PDF, fill it out, and mail or fax it to us. You can also fill out the DCMP Media Recommendation Form online.

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Abused Deaf Women and Their Families: A Lack of Information

Overviews types of abusive behavior and the lack of captioned resources.

From Anne Phillips and Marta Mulholland about

The DCMP at Fifty

Thank you for visiting our special commemorative “Golden Anniversary” section. We hope that you will explore, along with us, the DCMP’s rich history in educational media accessibility. Here you will find a brief but informative article chronicling the program’s history up to 2008, a detailed timeline highlighting the first fifty years of captioning and description, and a list of some of our favorite DCMP history-related articles from our Clearinghouse section.

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Learning Center

"Rockets: How They Work"

"The Adventures of Willie Skunk"

Public Law 87 715

"Rockets: How They Work" Lesson Guide

Back to School with DCMP...For Parents!

Guide to Working with Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students

Read Captions Across America

Making Your Productions Accessible

Descriptive Children's Television: Bridging the Gap for Blind Kids While Benefiting All Kids

Video Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired Population

The Described and Captioned Media Program: A Classroom Staple in 21st Century Education

The Influence of English Language and Spanish Language Captions on Foreign Language Listening/Reading Comprehension

Recommend Media to the DCMP

Abused Deaf Women and Their Families: A Lack of Information

The DCMP at Fifty