in thinking that more dvds should be captioned for deaf people?

[LottieJenkins]

Wilf went and bought the dvd of The Velveteen Rabbit yesterday. There were no captions on it. He bought it anyway as he wanted to watch it. I have noticed that a lot of companies don't put captions on their dvds
I actually took a major company to task a couple of years ago and threatened to go to the papers about them. (They had done a campaign advertising disability but didnt caption some of their dvds!!!) My threat worked and they paid for Wilf and I to have a trip round their film studio and met the creator of the company (think plasticine!!)
I think it should maybe put into the Disability Discrimination Act that DVDS should be captioned.

i think there should be dvd for deaf people, perhaps as a bonus feature...but i wouldn't like every single dvd on the main film with a person doing sign language in the corner as i don't like it.

Is captioned the same as subtitled? If so yanbu and I would have thought they would HAVE to do this...

Also... Mini hijack to say I still love the name Wilf x

I did think that all dvds had subtitles. Do they not then?
Then, I agree YANBU. All dvds should be subtitled.

The dvds that have subtitles have them as an "extras" features where you can sometimes choose which language you want to watch the film in. Dvds dont have people signing on them, a lot of people find the signing distracting but it brings such joy to Wilf when he sees someone signing and knows that he can understand them.Sadly most of these programmes are on after midnight...... Disney always caption/subtitle their dvds.

It's not just subtitles, there are so few DVDs that have an audio description option for blind people. There are so many films/tv shows that my dad would love to be able to "watch" but without the AD it is near impossible for him.

He took the BBC to task for not putting AD on the Life on Mars DVDs, but they were very "meh" about it.

Its the same with the cinema too. I have only been able to take Wilf once to see a film at the cinema which is captioned......... Its the same with the theatre. A couple of years ago i wanted to take Wilf to see Sister Act. I rang in August to enquire when the next showing in Sign Language would be. Their reply.....................The following January on a Wednesday afternoon!

CaveMum It is disgusting isnt it. The plasticine company that i took to task had a new contract drawn up after our meeting to ensure that all of their dvds were captioned in future.

Bumpppppppppp.................

Not realistic to apply it to DVDs already released.

As for new ones, you could only realistically apply it to those created and published in the UK and apart from the BBC's there are not many of them. We cannot tell Hollywood Subtitle your DVDs or quit this market because they would choose the second option and we would all lose out.

I hate to be a wet blanket but that is how the world is.

yanbu. It's not just for hard of hearing. My dh watches tv and films with subtitles as english is not his first language. He especially struggles with regional accents. I do the same with french tv when we are there and it helps me loads. Also when I'm trying to calm down or feed dd but I'm bored I put the tv on mute with subtitles.

I can understand that older films/tv shows may not have subtitles/AD for now, as it will take time to work through the thousands of titles in the company back catalogue, but surely anything being produced now should have them both as standard options?

There is a real problem with overlooking the needs of disabled people these days. We usually have to search high and low for household appliances that my dad can use, ie with dials and buttons rather than digital displays. Yes my dad lives with my mum and brother who can do things for him, but he's fiercely independent and likes to be able to do things like use the washing machine or oven himself.

The Hollywood companies have the money to put the captions on their DVDs and they should!!!!!!!!!!

Yes Lottie but we in our tight little island can't make them.

Someone should sue them!! That would make them buck up their ideas!!!!!!!

My DS has Aspergers and watches all television programmes and DVDs with the subtitles on so it isn't just hearing impaired people who use them. They are often in a separate menu and have to be switched on on DVDs.

We own over 400 DVDs because we are geeks and every single one of them has a subtitle option. It is a legal requirement for DVDs to have subtitled options iirc as of Communications Act 2003.

jandy I know that, i said it in a previous post. Wilf has Aspergers as well as being deaf. It is difficult isnt.

They put subtitles on the DVDs so that they can sell the films abroad without having to dub them, so it's not a huge leap to ensure there are English subtitles too. I own a set of DVDs imported from Japan. It is an English speaking tv show, it just comes in a box with Japanese writing on it and with optional Japanese subtitles. It's not rocket science!

Besides, ensuring subtitles/AD would open up the disabled market to them, so from a business perspective it makes sense.

I think in the US some dvds use Closed Captions that need a decoder to view them. At least that is what DH had said when I have asked him to put the subtitles on a region 1 dvd.

We watch almost all our TV with subtitles on after loud TV used to wake up the sleeping on my lap babies, it feels weird to watch without now. Plus I almost prefer to read the programme than listen to it I am grateful I have a choice though!

SayGhoul Wilf has bought several of the last few years that haven't been captioned. Including his current passion Midsomer Murders. Several of those weren't captioned.

sayghoul same here -- well not 400 but I've not had any DVDs without subtitles so far (and I almost always use subtitles). They do sometimes make it really difficult to find the option though, which I don't understand.

Are they less likely to put subtitles on children's DVDs, because they think kids can't read or something?

Lottie - that IS bad! I am truly surprised - as I said before, I'm sure it's a legal requirement. Sometimes the option isn't on the Extras screen from the main titles iyswim but you should always be able to get into it from the DVD pop up main menu by pressing Select and then finding the subtitles.

Not trying to dispute what you're saying - YADNBU - but I'm very very surprised that so many of your DVDs don't have subtitles!

I'll get Wilf to check when he gets back from the cinema. He is on his "stay at school" weekend. He has gone to see the new Johnny English film. (without subtitles)

:( Lottie. I agree that smaller cinemas should offer more options for hearing impaired. Our local multiplex is very good at showing captioned movies on a regular basis, but I'm guessing the smaller ones aren't as up to speed. Tis rubbish for you boy though, I feel for him.

I'm not hearing impaired but I do prefer to have subtitles on, always have.

your boy