More and more Americans are depending and counting on closed-captions in their video entertainment. As a program producer or television station program director, you’re probably aware of the regulations that require all programs to be closed-captioned. Most of you probably dread the additional costs and coordination efforts it will take to deliver your programs with closed-captions. As in life, you have a choice as to how to view your circumstances. You’d most likely change your point of view if you spent the day in the shoes a deaf or hard-of-hearing person. When Saddleback Church in Lake Forest California had VHS tapes closed-captioned for the first time, Rhonda, the leader of the deaf ministry had this to say:
“Praise God! We won’t need to pay the cost of a signer and will be able to reach those that don’t know signing. I can’t begin to explain the positive impact this will have on our group. It is going to grow by leaps and bounds. We’ll be able to deliver God’s word and teaching those people that previously have been ‘left-out’.”
No one wants to be “left-out” and by providing closed-captions, you’ll be giving these people a chance. Did you realize that very few of the 30 million Americans that are deaf or heard-of-hearing are Christians? They typically live in a lonely world that most Churches and Christian broadcasters have ignored? This is fertile ground! It’s time to turn on the closed-captioning!
WANTED: Caption Editor, degree in English preferred. Hmmm… a caption editor? I can edit. I have a degree in English. I guess I meet the requirements. But, what exactly is the job? Oh, I know! Maybe I can “google” the term and find a job description…No such luck. Google doesn’t know either. Well, I am always up for an adventure…
These were the thoughts that were running through my head as I was looking for a new job. I was looking for an editing job and my previous experience was with book editing and publishing. I knew very little about closed captions, as did the majority of people I knew. One friend actually thought the television itself transcribed the audio and spit out the words onto the screen. As silly as that may seem, my knowledge of the process wasn’t far from that. However, my curiosity was piqued, so I decided to apply.
Joanna, the post-production manager, called me to set up an interview. She also asked me how I felt about technology. Technology? Well, I know how to use a computer and I can text message with my eyes closed. But, somehow I wasn’t sure those were the exact skills she was looking for. I tentatively replied that I was not intimidated by technology and immediately panicked thinking, “What am I getting myself into?!”
You can only imagine how my fears intensified when I walked into the office to interview and saw large towers full of computers and machines that looked like something out of the Matrix. Cords, plugs, headsets, decks, monitors…yikes! But, what’s the fun in life if you don’t challenge yourself? To make a long story short, I accepted the challenge and here I am today: Caption Editor Extraordinaire!
It took two months of training to really feel comfortable with captioning. There is so much to learn and you never really stop learning. Questions and new challenges arise every day. There are many guidelines to follow and “styles” of captioning to learn. Grammar, punctuation, and spelling are important but equally important are the placement, line breakage and speed of the captions. Everything is done to ensure that the viewer is getting an accurate understanding of the show. Basically, caption editors work with post-production shows (ones that are already recorded). We have transcribers translate the audio and send us a transcript. We then import the transcript in a computer program that allows us to break up the lines and “press on” the captions in sync with the video/audio. Presto!
Effective caption editing is an acquired skill. And once you know what “good” captions look like, you immediately become a full-fledged critic. It is now impossible to watch captions on television without critiquing the placement, speed, and accuracy. Sadly, you also realize that the majority of captions out there are poor. All of us at Aberdeen care about quality and accuracy and we all take pride in our work. Hopefully, now that most shows are required by law to be closed captioned, more people will understand the importance of not only providing closed captions, but providing good closed captions.
I am so lucky to have found this job. It has truly opened my eyes to the world of closed captioning and the importance of providing closed captioning, not just for the hearing impaired, but for the entire population! Another great benefit of this job is the plethora of knowledge you will receive from watching these programs. I learn something new from every show I caption, whether it is a Bible verse, a recipe for nachos, the history of anthropology, new scientific terminology, or the latest in fashion and design! I am sure to triumph in any game of Trivial Pursuit!
Written by Christina Hill, Caption Editor
It is estimated that over 1 billion people in the world are learning to speak English! English is now the most widely spoken language in the world. With adults and children across the world needing accessible ways of learning English, what better way to assist this population than with captioning?
English is a second language for 30 million people living in the United States. Studies show that Limited English Proficient (LEP) students represent nearly 10% of public school enrollment. ESL Adult Education courses are rapidly growing—it is estimated that nearly 25% of Adult Education courses are ESL.
Additionally, literacy still remains a problem in the United States. The National Center for Education Statistics showed that over 40 million adults in the United States have limited reading and writing skills.
Captioning becomes the perfect solution for increasing English language and literacy in this country. Television is a huge part of American culture. 99% of homes in the United States contain at least one television! Children on average spend nearly 30 hours a week watching television. Studies have shown that children who watch captioned programs can increase fluency, comprehension, and language development. With this in mind, captioning of television programs becomes a readily accessible way to improve English language and literacy amongst the population.
Who benefits from captioning?
Everyone!
A study conducted by The National Institute on Deafness concludes that over 28 million American have a hearing impairment. Elderly people, who experience hearing loss later in life, compose a large percentage of the hearing impaired community. Consequently, only 10% of the hearing impaired community understands sign language. Therefore, the majority of the hearing impaired community relies on captioned television programs and movies for education and entertainment.
However, studies show that captions are increasingly being used to promote literacy and language development amongst children and those learning to speak English. Captions are also ideal for televisions that are being watched in noisy public areas such as gyms, restaurants, waiting rooms, and airports.
Expanding Your Message or your Market
Whether you want to better serve your congregation, reach a larger market, reach out to the hearing-impaired population, or provide opportunities for the ESL community, captioning is your answer. Captions will enhance the true meaning of your program by ensuring that all viewers have the ability to accurately comprehend your message.
Closed captioning offers essential television access not only for the deaf community but also benefits the elderly, hard-of-hearing individuals, early readers, and those learning English as a second language. For example, Aberdeen provides closed captioning for numerous Sunday church services weekly.
While large television ministries greatly benefit from closed captioning, smaller congregations might wonder if they should opt for this technology or stick with a sign language interpreter. While employing an American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter is an excellent way to connect with deaf attendees, ASL has limited similarities to English and requires extensive learning. This can be a barrier as many hard-of-hearing individuals or those who become deaf later in life may not have learned ASL. In fact, only about 10% of the 24 million deaf and hard-of-hearing Americans are proficient in sign language, leaving the vast majority to depend on captioning.
Additionally, there is no universal sign language. ASL, for instance, is vastly different from British Sign Language (BSL) even though both are used in English-speaking countries. Some deaf individuals use Signed Exact English (SEE), which mirrors English grammar and vocabulary more closely, or cued speech, which uses hand shapes to help distinguish similar sounds and assist lip-reading.
Moreover, relying solely on an ASL interpreter can be challenging; viewers must continuously watch the interpreter to follow the conversation, which can be taxing and lead to missed information if attention wavers. In contrast, closed captions allow viewers to read at their own pace and easily re-engage if they become momentarily distracted, facilitating better comprehension and enabling them to observe both the speaker and the text.
Overall, closed captioning not only enhances accessibility for those who prefer ASL, SEE, speech reading, or cued speech but also broadens the reach of your message, making it more inclusive for diverse audiences.
Many captioning companies have their beginnings as a mom-and-pop shop or a husband-and-wife business. Uniquely, Aberdeen got its start as three siblings--Matthew Cook, Amy (Cook) McKay and Becky (Cook) Isaacs--and one vision: access for everyone. While sitting around a campfire in the summer of 2001, they came up with the idea, as Amy had been in the captioning business for several years when Matthew and Becky realized the far-reaching benefits of captioning, as well as the business opportunity. After much contemplation about working together and keeping a strong family bond, they decided to launch Aberdeen Captioning, Inc.
From their humble beginnings, to over 30 team members strong, Aberdeen has become a leader in the captioning industry. Aberdeen is built upon a strong work ethic, integrity, honesty, Christian faith and a friendly way of doing business they developed growing up in a small farming town in Michigan. When they say they will do something, they do it.
They believe captioning should be made available to all people. Closed-captioning users are vital members of our communities, the marketplace, and the world. They take pride in providing ACCESS to ALL viewers.
