Suite 203, 251 Bank Street
Ottawa, Ontario
Canada K2P 1X3
Tel.: (613) 565-2882 (Voice)
TTY: (613) 565-8882
Fax: (613) 565-1207
E-mail: cad@cad.ca
www.cad.ca
HDTV/Digital Television and Captioning - $48,820
CAD proposes a research project to gather information, both technical and legislative/regulatory, from Canada and the U. S., relating to the future of captioning in particular and programming accessibility in general, placed within the context of HDTV/digital technology developments. CAD will also look into the possibility that HDTV/digital will open up new opportunities for improved accessibility, for example through multiple "peephole" Sign language interpreters on-screen, through robotic or "cyberbotic" interpretation, through voice-recognition technology, or through consumer-controlled add-on equipment such as a plug-in caption encoder. CAD's research will conclude with recommendations and a plan of action targeted at all stakeholders in both countries.
The methodology is standard. Literature and data will be gathered through Internet searches and personal contacts in both Canada and the United States (e.g., CAD has a close relationship with the "Law and the Deaf" Program at Gallaudet University in Washington D.C). Information about technological developments will be gathered through personal visits and examinations by a qualified expert in deafness technology.
Current regulations regarding closed captioning of TV broadcasts in Canada and the USA will be reviewed. Public concerns raised in regard to the new technology and its impact on closed captions will be documented. Public comments as to how these concerns are to be addressed in regulation will be presented. Comments and publications of regulators, Deaf consumers, and broadcasters will all be studied. All literature will be analyzed by a Deaf lawyer who specializes in telecommunications issues, and a hearing lawyer who specializes in CRTC matters.
In addition, an Evaluation Committee will be appointed by the CAD's Board of Directors, containing a mix of internal and external experts, to review all drafts of the research and to ensure the project keeps to its objectives.
The technological thrust requires an additional mechanism, namely, personal visits to technology developers and manufacturers to actually see first-hand what they are working on in regards to accessibility options for HDTV/digital television. Initial reports and literature reviews will be submitted to the Evaluation Committee. Potential alternatives to captioning, and new accessibility options identified in the course of the research, will be followed-up by the project workers. The findings and recommendations will be presented at the Deaf Canada Conference in Winnipeg in July of 2004. At the Conference, members of the stakeholder public will have an opportunity to be surveyed and polled (both by a show of hands and by written questionnaire) on the findings and recommendations of the project, and on their own wishes, needs, and financial ability regarding the new technology and the possible ways to make it accessible for deaf and hard of hearing people.
The expected outcome is a substantial report on the "state of the art" of captioning and other methods (actual and potential) of providing access to HDTV/digitized television programming, transmission, and reception, both in Canada and the U.S. These developments will be compared to the wishes, needs, and financial abilities of consumers. Recommendations and a plan of action will be included.
The deliverable will be a printed report aimed at informing regulators, legislators, and industry players. It will be distributed to all relevant government departments and agencies, including the CRTC and Federal Communications Commission, television networks and specialty channels, the Canadian Association of Broadcasters, captioning agencies (e.g., National Captioning Institute), over fifty Deaf and hard of hearing consumer groups and service agencies in Canada, cable system providers including Rogers Cable and Shaw Cable, and to individuals upon request. The report will be made available through CAD's website, and will be summarized in issues of its quarterly newsletter.
