Silence !

As a profoundly deaf person, I find it extremely difficult to conduct any business transactions. Ok, that's my life and I'm not complaining. BUT, there is no excuse for makers of DVD's and browsers, such as YouTube, to sell/offer films WITHOUT any Closed Captioning, (C.C.).

There are 10 million deaf or hard hearing people in the United States alone. World-wide the number is closer to 70 million. That U.S. number is 1 in 20 people.

For me to watch a film without C.C. I need both hearing aids AND a good set of headphones, with the volume turned up high. Even at that I can understand PERHAPS 1 word in 10.

I am posting this to request ideas on how I might go about a campaign to force DVD makers and browsers into compliance. I've thought of somehow embarrassing them. But how ? I've complained to YouTube, Amazon etc, etc, but they couldn't care less. I've selected YouTube, quite at random, as a first target.

Did you know that Amazon sells DVD's without ANY way of the customer knowing if a particular DVD has C.C. ? It's a crap-shoot. Sometimes I get C.C. and sometimes not.

Any ideas ?

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I don't think you can lay all the blame with Amazon, Bakerman, they are just a pipeline through which goods are sold. I doubt very much that they have 'hands on' experience of half the stuff sent out in their name and have to rely on the manufacturers and traders to supply descriptions of their products.

Your first call - should be to all the producers of CDs and DVDs, the film companies etc., to not only include CC but also to make sure their products are clearly labelled.

Your second call - those who sell them on Amazon should write clearer descriptions of what they are selling - including CC information. Amazon may or may not be willing to help you with that one.

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Thank you, Tabby. You have presented some food for thought.

One thing which gives me some hope is that here in America, wheelchair ranps, or elevators, are required in all business' which are open to the public. Even, if you can imagine it, in a lifeguard tower at the beach.

My ultimate objective is to start a movement which will require C.C. on all DVDs, on all TV programs, and perhaps, with special glasses, in all movie houses.

I have already fired off emails to Amazon and the sellers of DVDs but they claim they can do nothing. They all reply that they are merely sellers of products and have no control over how they are made OR how they are described in their adverts. I think this is B.S. Amazon, one of the worlds large corporations can bloody well do what-ever they choose to do.

As I stated in my OP, I am too deaf to use a phone and thus call not call anyone. Heck, I can't even call for emergency aid if I should have a heart attack.

Contacting the producers of the DVDs is a good idea and I will be checking on that.

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Bakerman, Please can you tell what is the difference between Closed Captioning and Subtitles, as l have never heard of CC before.

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Artie,
I am no expert but, technically, I believe subtitles are for foreign films of another language. Thus, you can watch an Italian movie, hear Italian, but read English at the bottom.

C.C., closed captioning is made exclusively for the deaf and hard of hearing. Not only do you see what is spoken but you can often, but not always, see words that indicate a bird is singing or music is playing, or wind is howling etc.
In actuality there is little difference between the two.

P.S. many of your DVDs will have C.C. and you can use it by clicking on the remote where it says C.C. or subtitle. Your TV remote should also have a C.C. button.

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Hi Bakerman.

Here, C.C is known as sub-titles. We also get audio description for the blind and partially sighted - Audio description is when the commentator describes the scene or what a character is doing.

A few years ago, I contacted the producers of Sony DVDs asking why they can't level the sound on their recordings. I have DVds which I have bought through the proper channels whose sound varies so much, I have to have the tv near maximum volume for one scene, then turned right down for the next. So the whole production of films, DVDs and TV programmes needs to be improved IMO.

We have the sub-titles on TV all the time, not that either of us are deaf but Mrs LDs has a little trouble hearing certain sounds, so it helps. When you consider how many channels there are, only a few of them bother to provide sub-titles.

Our local cinema has special evenings when they show films with sub-titles and/or audio description which I think is a good idea.

Good luck with your campaign. Maybe you could contact your equivalent of our Deaf society ( can't remember the name off hand) to see if they can help or perhaps an entrepreneur about the special glasses idea.

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Longy, l am the same as your wife in that l have trouble hearing certain words and strong accents on the television.
My sister has bought me a 5m 3.5mm Jack Headphone Extention Cable Lead for £1.81 off eBay. It is marvellous as you can hear every word!

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I think in uk we are all learning what it's like to be partially deaf and almost blind, looking at some shows that have been filmed in the dark and other where they whisper, I've given up more than one show because we could see or hear the characters.

I'd be happy to sign anything to send to companies to protest at lack of facilities for the hearing impaired. I anyone has a petition post it I'll sign up happily.

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I wish they would have subtitles on stuff you download off ‘Catch Up’.

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Julie, what a great idea. Do you know of ANY way a petition could get started ? I would know how to do that on paper by standing out on the street asking people to sign. But something tells me that's old-fashioned and there must be a new way via the internet. but I haven't a clue how to do that.