How Captions Went from Niche to Necessity For the first three decades of television, there were no captions of any kind, leaving Deaf viewers unable to fully participate in a medium that shaped culture and conversation. The fight for closed captioning was a battle for access and inclusion. Deaf activists and advocates spent decades pushing broadcasters, lawmakers, and technology companies to make television—and later, the internet—accessible through captions. From early experiments in the 1970s to the passage of laws like the 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act, their efforts transformed media, ensuring that millions could engage with news, entertainment, and education. And what began as a fight for the Deaf community became a revolution in accessibility, benefiting everyone—from language learners and multitaskers to anyone who has ever needed to read instead of listen. View a version with extended audio description: https://youtu.be/ZYQYa0oPwPs View a version with on-screen ASL interpretation: https://youtu.be/A_h4f_ssd7E THE CURB-CUT EFFECT is a four-part YouTube series inspired by our film CHANGE, NOT CHARITY: THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT → https://youtu.be/WvzQ3fPKJjc Official Website: https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/change-not-charity-americans-disabilities-act | #ChangeNotCharityPBS CHANGE, NOT CHARITY: THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT tells the emotional and dramatic story of the decades-long push for equality and accessibility that culminated in the 1990 passage of the ADA, one of the most consequential civil rights bills in the nation’s history. #Disability #History #Documentary This program is made possible by viewers like you. Support your local PBS station: https://www.pbs.org/donate Subscribe to the AMERICAN EXPERIENCE channel for more videos: https://www.youtube.com/@AmericanExperiencePBS Enjoy full episodes of your favorite AMERICAN EXPERIENCE shows anytime, anywhere with the free PBS App: https://to.pbs.org/2QbtzhR FOLLOW AMERICAN EXPERIENCE Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AmericanExperiencePBS/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/AmericanExperiencePBS/ Threads: https://www.threads.net/@americanexperiencepbs

@PBS How Captions Went from Niche to Necessity. Check-out "Curb Cut Effect" 6-min episode:

bit.ly/4lIA9La

#CurbCut #CaptionsHelpEveryone #Accessibility #DisabilityBelongs #OneDayYouTooWillBeDisabled

Screenshot of Forbes article headline that reads: “The Communications Battle for Accessible and Accurate Live Captions: Humans Versus AI” published on December 3, 2024 to coincide with the United Nations’ International Day of People with Disabilities (IDPD). Article written by Forbes Communications Council member, Toby Wong, who is a late-deafened board director and global marketer breaking barriers. She supports Gold House, Collective Visibility and Disability Belongs.

The communications battle between human and AI live captions centers on accuracy, accessibility and trust.

Check out my @Forbes.com article published this week:

bit.ly/3ZcXbzg

#LiveCaptions #LiveEvents
#CaptionsHelpEveryone #HumansVsAI #IDPD2024 #Forbes