Monday, February 6, 2012

Challenge: PLUG your ears for a day!

Please accept the challenge to place earplugs in your ears for one day.  During that day, remove all closed captioning and volume to your television or videos that you watch.  I especially want the Media, Networks, Movie industry, local news media, weather reporters, politicians,  and video makers to do this.  This way, you can "walk in the shoes of a deaf or hard-of-hearing person" and see how well you hear the things being said.  Just because a person does not hear well or at all doesn't mean they are stupid or that they don't deserve to "hear" via closed captioning. 

I know some television stations close caption the news but do not close caption weather (even emergency warnings), or interviews. The hearing person can hear it and the blind can usually hear it.  The deaf or hard-of-hearing can not!
I realize expense, time, and other things discourage the motivation to invest in closed captioning.  However, the deaf and hard-of-hearing person usually wears hearing aids, tries to read lips, actively listens but it is usually impossible to hear without the closed captioning.  I think you will better understand where I am coming from if you will accept my challenge. Walk in their shoes for a day, please. (and don't cheat) 

Thank you for your time reading this and I especially thank you if you do something about this problem!

2 comments:

  1. Great points! Most of us who have hearing never think of those who don't.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks, Joyful. It really is a serious problem for a LOT of people. Thanks for your time and interest in my blog.

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