Learning Center

What are Captions?

Answers questions that librarians may have about captioning.

From Shannon Chenoweth about

My life journey began on a beautiful Minnesota October day, when I arrived in this world as the firstborn of caring parents. Typical of the days of the 1920s, I was born at our home. The doctor had arrived earlier that day and had stayed with my parents the entire time needed for my safe arrival.

From Erma A. Belz about

"Silent Films" Revisited: Captioned Films for the Deaf

The silent films of the early 1900s had a huge audience, hearing and deaf, for public entertainment and instruction. The advent of "talkies," however, excluded deaf people from this means of access to mainstream American culture. In response to a new need for both captioned educational and entertainment films for deaf people, Congress passed Public Law 85-905 in 1958, which established Captioned Films for the Deaf as a federal program. This article addresses the history of the Captioned Films/Videos for the Deaf program, the kinds of films and videos available, and the procedures for borrowing them through educational and theatrical captioned film/video libraries. Also discussed are the various captioning processes and the implications of the availability of these materials for librarians who are concerned about the special needs of the deaf community.

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Closed Captioned TV: A Resource for ESL Literacy Education

It has been four years since the publication of "Closed Captioned Television for Adult ESL Literacy Learners" (Spanos & Smith, 1990). Since that time, interest in the subject has been growing among teachers, students, and researchers. What is new in closed-captioned television (CCTV)? Recent technological, pedagogical, and regulatory developments have heightened awareness and appreciation of the medium's educational potential. This digest reports on new captioning legislation that increases access to captioned programs and on new research, technology, and uses of closed captions in the field of adult ESL.

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Guidelines For Audio Describing Meetings And Presentations

Sign language interpreters are a necessary accommodation for people who are deaf and use signing as a means of basic communication. They are necessary in courtrooms, hospitals, meetings and virtually any situation in which there is an interaction between people who are deaf and those who communicate only orally. Because blindness or vision impairment does not necessarily present a fundamental barrier to communication, parallel accommodations have usually not been sought or even considered necessary for the aforementioned venues and situations.

From Elizabeth Kahn about

Who's Watching? A Profile of the Blind and Visually Impaired Audience for Television and Video

The American Foundation for the Blind completed a study in 1997 of the viewing habits of blind and visually impaired people and the impact of video description. This version is accessible to blind and visually impaired people using screen readers as well as to people accessing the internet through slow connections. Limited print copies with complete graphics, available at no charge, can be requested from the American Foundation for the Blind Information Center.

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Black History Month

Over the years, there have been many great men and women who have contributed to African American history. During the month of February, thanks to Carter G. Woodson, founder of Black History Month, people from all around the globe give tribute to prominent African Americans and study their achievements.

From Kathy Buckson about

In Education, Transition, and Life: Teachers Made the Difference

Dr. Ernest E. Hairston writes about two of his great teachers: William King and Malcolm (Mac) Norwood.

From Ernest E. Hairston about

Teacher Survey of Captioned Media

Research for school use of captioned media from 1993-1996

From Gallaudet University about

Closed Captioning Standards and Protocol for Canadian English Language Broadcasters

This 2004 manual provides general guidelines on closed captioning in Canada. Begins with the Canadian Radio, Television, and Telecommunications Commission's (CRTC) regulatory standards for closed captioning. Explains how to correctly present the following caption types: off-line roll-up and pop-on, as well as on-line real-time, live-display, and teleprompter. Includes a chapter regarding the history of captioning in Canada.

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Hard of Hearing Students in Postsecondary Settings: A Guide for Service Providers

This publication provides information and resources about factors that affect students who are hard of hearing as they plan for or participate in postsecondary education and training. Students, parents, teachers, transition specialists, and other related staff may use this as a tool in the transition process. Topics include: demographic information; implications for service delivery; transition planning; vocational rehabilitation services; services and support that can be offered by a postsecondary education or training program; campus access services; and communication access for students who are hard of hearing. (Published: 2007)

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Deaf Women United With the DCMP

Deaf Women United, Inc. was established in 1985. Its goal is to promote the best interests and quality of life of deaf women. One activity is to create opportunities for women to join together in planning, devising, conducting, and participating in various activities and workshops. Further, it functions as a support group, providing networking, leadership, and empowerment opportunities.

From Darlene Goncz Zangara about

Malcolm Joseph Norwood Tribute in CFV Newsletter and Vitae

Dr. Malcolm Norwood, former chief of the Captioning and Adaptation Branch of the Department of Education, died of a heart attack on March 23, 1989. Mac was known throughout the world of deaf education as the "father" of closed captioning. His leadership from the early 1960s when the criteria and technology for 16mm captioning was developed, until the advent of Line 21 captioning for television broadcasting, was invariably enthusiastic, energetic, and innovative. Mac was proof of the adage, "Where there's a will, there's a way." Mac held a Ph.D degree as an educator, but above all he was a loving husband, father, and friend. (Captioned Films/Videos for the Deaf Newsletter, April, 1989.)

From Bill Stark about

Television Decoder Circuitry Act of 1990

Basic information and provisions of the 1990 law requiring built-in decoder circuitry.

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How to get to Sesame Street: Multimedia Technology and Second Language Acquisition

"A running joke in this country is that television is as good as a babysitter." While there is bad programming out there, there is very good programming as well. And for ESL students, television can help to teach language, culture, and even reading skills. Students need assistance to develop active viewing habits, so that they not only watch shows but think about them as well. "Television is our most pervasive communication mode. We should not try to compete with it, rather we should harness its power to make it work for us . . ." Also overviews the options of using closed captioning, pointing out that in the early nineties it was estimated that some 40 percent of closed-captioning viewers were people who were learning English as a second language. Written by Katherine Latta, 2003.

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Learning Center

What are Captions?

Muffled Journey

"Silent Films" Revisited: Captioned Films for the Deaf

Closed Captioned TV: A Resource for ESL Literacy Education

Guidelines For Audio Describing Meetings And Presentations

Who's Watching? A Profile of the Blind and Visually Impaired Audience for Television and Video

Black History Month

In Education, Transition, and Life: Teachers Made the Difference

Teacher Survey of Captioned Media

Closed Captioning Standards and Protocol for Canadian English Language Broadcasters

Hard of Hearing Students in Postsecondary Settings: A Guide for Service Providers

Deaf Women United With the DCMP

Malcolm Joseph Norwood Tribute in CFV Newsletter and Vitae

Television Decoder Circuitry Act of 1990

How to get to Sesame Street: Multimedia Technology and Second Language Acquisition