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Outdoor captioning contrast

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From: Cliff Tyllick
Date: Mar 23, 2014 9:18AM

With apologies to those who might not know of the U.S. game show, Jeopardy!, "Subsidy for $1000, please, Alex!"

Jay, I don't have an answer for you, but I do have an observation in the form of a question: At some point it must make sense for governmental agencies to stop giving guidelines on best practices to businesses free of charge and start saying, "Here's the problem you have to solve to achieve accessibility. Do it." Where is that point?

There is a move afoot to create certification processes for accessibility professionals. But if all the best practices are available for free, it won't make sense for new people to consider the profession. To get work, you'll have to get certified, which will involve some kind of education and experience and won't be free, and then to keep work, you'll have to compete with all of this information that is made available for free.

So, where's the balance?

Don't misunderstand. Ensuring that people with hearing disabilities can enjoy live football without missing out on the information given by the stadium announcer is a noble goal. But don't the Minnesota Vikings make enough money to pay for that advice, just as they would pay for advice to improve any other component of their new stadium?


(Hmmm, come to think of it, I know of someone who might have just the information they need. He sometimes teaches "Viking Accessibility." Karl Groves, are you listening?)

Cliff Tyllick




On Thursday, February 27, 2014 12:20 PM, "Wyant, Jay (MNIT)" < <EMAIL REMOVED> > wrote:

I have a question that is sort of outside of the usual topic areas. We're advising the local NFL franchise, which is building a new stadium, on how to make it fully accessible.

Of course we want captioning. We currently plan to recommend that the captioning display be separate from the ginormous Jumbotron-style screens (and we will probably reference the ANSI A117.1 standards, as much as they are usable). Does anyone have any experience or research on the best form of high-contrast readability of such displays? We were thinking black text on white if feasible.

We are also making recommendations re character height, etc. so thoughts are welcomed on those aspects. But I am most curious to learn if there is any research on the contrast - particularly at that distance and with the sort of arena lighting common to such venues.

Thoughts?

Jay

JAY WYANT  |  CHIEF INFORMATION ACCESSIBILITY OFFICER
MN.IT SERVICES, CENTRAL
651.201.1001 (w)  |  612.825.8285 (m)  |  <EMAIL REMOVED>

Information Technology for Minnesota Government  |  mn.gov/oet
Learn: http://mn.gov/oet/governance/for-agencies/accessibility/