Deaf=Dumb?

According to this article in the Palm Beach Post, the U.S. Department of Education has decided to cut the closed captioning funding for a number of programs, including classics like Bewitched and I Dream of Jeannie. Why? They're afraid shows like that might lead the deaf and hard-of-hearing down a garden path to witchcraft.

Do what now?

So the assumption here is that deaf people are easily taken in by old television shows? And that some of these old shows promote witchcraft?

Not that TV classics are the only shows being denied the budget to caption. Cartoons like Scooby-Doo have also fallen victim to the cuts. So have a number of sports events.

The U.S. Department of Education argues that these shows do not fulfill the "educational, news, or informational" requirement for closed-caption funding. And while I can certainly understand the desire to prioritize such shows for captioning, why shoulding the deaf and hard-of-hearing have access to some good old entertainment as well? It's a bizarre sort of censorship to argue that this group of television viewers somehow doesn't merit the time and money it takes to entertain them [via program captioning]. Every person who can hear gets to watch pointless, amusing television; why shouldn't people who can't hear have the same options open to them?

Why not poll the communities that most use captioning, find out what shows they enjoy watching? Ask them which programs they'd most want to have captions. Makes more sense than a shady five-person panel.

And while you're at it, ask some of these deaf and hard-of-hearing folks whether Bewitched ever made them want to, you know, be a witch. Just to be sure and all.

Article Author: ZMethos

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