According to the World Report on Hearing 2022, there are approximately 4 million people with a hearing disability in South Africa, of which less than 600,000 are SA Sign Language users (Census 2022: 0.02% of the South African population).
In other words, approximately 3.4 million people do not understand SA Sign Language and rely on captioning to access information provided on television broadcasts. The consequence of not providing open captions is that many deaf and hearing-impaired persons are excluded from accessing relevant and important public information, such as television news broadcasts that impact their daily living.
The NCPD have advocated for the inclusion of open captions on news bulletins and public services announcements for many years, but without success. We launched a legal challenge to the Code in the Pretoria High Court in October 2021, and in February 2024, the High Court dismissed the legal challenge based on a procedural technicality without considering the substance of the case. On 30 April 2024, the same court granted the NCPD leave to appeal the dismissal to the Supreme Court of Appeal.
Other benefits of captions on television include:
- Greater recall & retention of information
A study at Indiana University USA in 2001 indicated that visual presentation was recalled more accurately than auditory presentation. Auditory recall also seemed to be more mentally daunting for the participants, as indicated by the number of mistakes made in retention and retrieval of words. In other words, captions will help all of us retain information more effectively.
Source credit: Elizabeth Hilton, Indiana University, 2001
- Improved understanding of complex information
We all learn and remember in different ways; some are better with auditory learning while others find visual learning more beneficial. Captions support visual learners’ understanding of complex information.
- Support for multilingual audiences
It can be challenging to hear words and sentences clearly when the language spoken is not your first language. Dialogue written in captions is great support and helps to promote fluency.
- Improved viewer experience
How many times have you asked someone watching TV with you what was said? Many of us miss some of the spoken dialogue on television, particularly when there is coverage containing loud noises. Captions are a way of supplementing the information we receive so that there are no gaps. Captions also play a crucial role in connecting the sound of the word to how it is written, making learning a language easier.
- Compliance with accessibility regulations
South Africa’s current disability policy, the White Paper on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, 2015, calls for the provision of “captioning on all television programmes” by all public and private television channels and ensuring “equal access to information and communication platforms.”
The deadline for “100% of all news content of local television stations [to] have captioning” was 2019, and “25% of all locally produced television programming” must be captioned by 2030. 5 years after the first deadline, there are still no captions on news bulletins, and with only 6 years before the next deadline, this is clearly not a priority for broadcasters and broadcasting decision-makers!
- Enhanced reputation for news agencies
Given that so many people can benefit from captions, it stands to reason that more people will view platforms that use captions on news bulletins and encourage friends and colleagues to do the same. Are broadcasters willing to forego the benefits that captions will add to their reputation?
- Increased access for people with hearing impairments
And lastly, of course, captions provide access to information for individual who have hearing impairment, acknowledging their right to information in real-time. Imagine if you reached old age and relied on your TV for daily news but couldn’t access it because there were no captions?
To pursue this appeal, the NCPD must prepare and submit the record of the proceedings in the High Court. The discounted cost of preparing the record is approximately R55 000, even though our attorneys are giving their time on a pro bono basis.
We are an NPO and simply cannot afford the cost of preparation of the record, but you can help us by making a contribution to these costs at https://www.backabuddy.co.za/campaign/captions-for-communication
Invest in your old age by helping us to advocate for real-time captions on all news bulletins and public service announcements!
