The Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA), Telecommunications for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Inc. (TDI) and multiple other hearing-related organizations have announced that they have launched a petition designed to improve the quality of Closed Captioning. The petition is open through September 13, 2019 and urges the FCC to upgrade captioning systems.
What’s the issue with TV Captions?
Do you rely on captioning when you watch TV? Then you may have noticed gaps, like delays with live news, spelling errors and other mistakes. The HLAA explains, “Consumers routinely report serious problems with the accuracy, timing, completeness, and placement of captions on live programming, including local news, sports, and weather. The petition asks the FCC to build on its existing standards for the quality of captions by setting metrics for acceptable quality of live captions.” You can read HLAA’s article on improving the quality of live TV captions.
Why is the Campaign interesting in spreading the news?
Across the country, participating practices in the Campaign for Better Hearing work to help people with hearing loss improve their quality of life, sometimes through better technology. Many people who come to hearing care providers seeking help get counseled to use closed captions when they watch television. Better captioning offers a better experience for people with hearing loss (and their loved ones watching television with them).
Do you use closed captions, but haven’t checked your hearing?
If you need captioning to follow along when you watch TV, it could be a sign of hearing loss. We encourage you to sign up for a complimentary hearing assessment* to see if you could have aideable hearing loss.
Ready to take action? Give the FCC your feedback.
Remember to include the proceedings number: 05-231 when you sign the petition.
The FCC is accepting comments from people with hearing loss through September 13, 2019. Your feedback matters to the FCC, so please feel free to share your experiences and views. The Campaign is not directly involved in this program, but we understand that captioning helps people follow along when they watch television.
If you fill out the ECFS Express form, you will need to include the proceedings number: 05-231.
