Captioning General


Watching a video without captions not only compromises the education of students who are Deaf/Hard-of-Hearing (DHH), but it also violates their right to equal access as established by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA, 1990, as amended 2008).

What to Look for:

  • Check all currently owned videos for captioning.
  • Self-recorded videos will need to be checked by viewing clips from each video with the captioning capabilities of the TV or projector turned on.
  • Captioned TV programs/movies retain captioning when recorded.
  • Mark the captioned videos with one of the captioning symbols for future reference.
  • When purchasing new videos, buy captioned.
  • If captioning status is not listed in the catalog or internet ordering site, contact the company.
  • Test the media in your classroom at least 2 weeks before the schedule class showing to ensure all technical components are in working order.
  • As an alternative, provide a transcript of video to the student and interpreter at least one class period in advance of the class showing.
  •  Purchased videos will be labeled with one of these three symbols on either the case or center label of the video.


Report Barriers