thomsen.

Lately, I've been noticing via Facebook.com and Twitter.com that quite afew of my followers and those who I follow are trying to advocate for what is called #captionTHIS. This began on Saturday, May 19, 2012. However, it is possible that it started earlier with GLAD lawsuit against CNN as well as Netflix, which started last year. Nevertheless, getting back to May 19th, 2012, a YouTube Video was posted called #captionTHIS by YouTube user monkichia. In this monkicha explains that

"as Internet is growing at a rapid pace, and the Deaf community is lagging even further behind, because we're lacking access to information"

meaning that the Deaf community is lacking captioning service via by the Internet. He takes two examples: CNN and Netflix and he explains that they are being sued by National Association of the Deaf (NAD) and Greater Los Angeles on Deafness (GLAD). He then list examples of how you can benefits from captions:

Captioning online videos will help people with age-related hearing loss, increase video search-ability, improve literacy skills, and enable universal access.

He then ends the video by saying that he needs your support to stop the oppression that denies Deaf people their right to access information and informs followers that social media is the best way to work together and call attention to the issue. On this argument, I completely and wholeheartedly agree with him, however, my quarrel isn't with him, but rather, if people who are deaf/hard of hearing demand equal access, then how come they do not provide equal access themselves?

Let me give your several examples for my reasoning:

Take a look at the first video below: (as you can see captioning/subtitles are provided for hearing people in case they don't understand what the signer is signing).



Now take a look a different video that is not related to monkicha, but it does discusses about #captionTHIS below: (as you can see there is no captioning/subtitles provided for hearing people in case they don't understand what the signer is signing).



But that's only one example.

If you go to deafvideo.tv, there are hundreds of videos that should be captioned, but are not. Go ahead. Go to their website and you will see that hundreds of users do not caption or subtitle their own content. Another popular website is Deaf YouVideo, what was so ironic, was they had a disclaimer that they were not responsible for captioning or subtitles of the content that was posted on their website.

Deaf YouVideo is not responsibility for, Your Images, photographs, videos and sound files, like written works, are subject to copyright, or the content, privacy policies, or practices of any third party websites. Someone holds the copyright unless they have been explicitly placed in the public domain. The Deaf YouVideo does not own copyright such article texts, illustrations and videos on Deaf YouVideo. If you are a copyright owner or represent a copyright owner, and you believe that Deaf YouVideo is infringing your copyright, we can assist you. Best you may leave message on this copyright content, and will be immediately removed from Deaf YouVideo.

I think this is wrong. I think that DeafVideo.tv should require all users to caption or subtitles their content. I think that Deaf YouVideo should require that any video(s) that they submit should have caption or subtitles. I think overall, every single one of us, Deaf or Hard of Hearing, should always caption or subtitle our work, our vlogs, and any and every kind of information that we post on the Internet should be caption or subtitled.

Let's be the be "the bigger person" in life and when it comes to #captionTHIS. Let's start with ourselves first before we demand that from multi-national corporations, big networks, small networks, Internet hosts, and even start up companies.

Equal access means equal access for all...even if we are part of the minority.