WebAIM - Web Accessibility In Mind

E-mail List Archives

Re: Using closed captioning versus open

for

From: Holly Marie
Date: Aug 25, 2001 1:15AM


----- Original Message -----
From: "Johanna Frohm"
> I am wondering about the merits of using open
> captioning in a SMIL file versus using closed captioning. Closed
> captioning will display if the accessibility feature is enabled in
> RealPlayer Preferences. If open captioning is used, it will be visible
> to everyone without any additional steps. It benefits the person with
> the hearing impairment, but it may also benefit others, such as the
> person working at a workstation with their speakers turned off, the
> person working at a computer without speakers, or a person working in
a
> noisy environment. There are probably other reasons open captioning
can
> be useful, but are their reasons for not using it?
You bring up a very good point Johanna, and I was wondering myself,
wouldn't it even be better if captioning view was set up as default on
and requiring someone to turn it off if not wanting to view?
seems that the captioning already available to everyone, then off for
those that do not want it on, would be a nicer solution. However, I do
realize that we as designers go so far and the users should know how and
where to set their settings, or use their special tools, programs, or
devices.
holly