For the first three decades of television, there were no captions of any kind, leaving Deaf viewers unable to fully participate in a medium that shaped culture and conversation. The fight for closed captioning was a battle for access and inclusion. Deaf activists and advocates spent decades pushing broadcasters, lawmakers, and technology companies to make television—and later, the internet—accessible through captions. From early experiments in the 1970s to the passage of laws like the 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act, their efforts transformed media, ensuring that millions could engage with news, entertainment, and education. And what began as a fight for the Deaf community became a revolution in accessibility, benefiting everyone—from language learners and multitaskers to anyone who has ever needed to read instead of listen.View a version with extended audio description:
View a version with on-screen ASL interpretation:
THE CURB-CUT EFFECT is a four-part YouTube series inspired by our film CHANGE, NOT CHARITY: THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT →
Official Website: | #ChangeNotCharityPBS
CHANGE, NOT CHARITY: THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT tells the emotional and dramatic story of the decades-long push for equality and accessibility that culminated in the 1990 passage of the ADA, one of the most consequential civil rights bills in the nation’s history.
#Disability #History #Documentary
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