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Captioning Will Provide Members Who Are Deaf Or Hard-of-Hearing With
Enhanced Access To Select Video Content Including Entertainment
Programming, News Updates And AOL‚ Member Education Tutorials
Initiative Marks First Time An Internet Service Provider Will Offer
Captioning And Extends Company's Commitment To Serving Members With
Disabilities
Dulles, VA, October 09, 2003 - America Online, the world's leading online
services provider, today announced the availability of closed captions on
the service for select multimedia content that will enhance the online
experience for members who are deaf or hard-of-hearing. This initiative
will mark the first time an Internet service provider will feature
captioned content online, underscoring AOL's commitment to accessibility
and ease-of-use. AOL will debut captions for AOL‚ Member Education
Tutorials and "Princess Natasha," an original cartoon series created
exclusively for the KOL‘ service, the first version of the AOL‚ service
designed entirely for kids aged 6-12. AOL‚ for Broadband will also roll
out captioned CNN news content later this fall. The online captions will
be available to AOL members through AOL 9.0‚ Optimized, the newest version
of the AOL client software.
The launch of AOL's captioning represents the first step towards realizing
the goals of a two-year research and development project between AOL and
WGBH Media Access Group, the pioneering organization behind the
development of captioning for television broadcasts. The continuing joint
project aims to foster the development of technical strategies for
enabling the display of closed captions in a range of digital media
formats. In addition to collaborating with WGBH, AOL has also been guided
by input from leaders of renowned consumer organizations in the Deaf
community and the Hard-of-Hearing community, including Telecommunications
for the Deaf Inc., the National Association of the Deaf and The League for
The Hard of Hearing. The launch is a significant milestone for both AOL
and for the Deaf community, whose leaders have been advocating for online
captioning similar to ongoing advocacy efforts for captions on television
programming.
"Online captioning is a central accessibility issue for the Deaf community
and Hard-of-Hearing community and we are excited to be at the forefront of
the movement," said Tom Wlodkowski, Director of Accessibility, America
Online. "Key to our progress has been our collaboration with WGBH and
support from content partners such as CNN and Animation Collective, the
producers of 'Princess Natasha.' We look forward to working with
additional content providers to expand the availability of captioned
multimedia on the service."
“We are thrilled to be able to participate with AOL in this groundbreaking
venture,” said Larry Goldberg, Director of the WGBH Media Access Group.
“While it may seem an easy thing to bring captions to the online world,
this was no piece of cake. AOL has resolved many of the operational and
technical barriers, so that the world of broadband media can be more
accessible.”
"This is a tremendous development in Internet accessibility for people
with hearing disabilities,” said Claude Stout, Executive Director of
Telecommunications for the Deaf, Inc. “AOL is to be commended for this
voluntary program to provide us access on the Internet. TDI strongly
encourages others on the Internet and in the media industry to follow suit
by providing accessible content via captions and other tools to people
with disabilities. In doing so, all Americans can experience full access."
"This captioning launch represents an important step forward towards
making the Internet more accessible for people with hearing disabilities
and we applaud AOL for its efforts," said Joseph Gordon, Chair
Telecommunications Committee, Advocates for Better Communication, League
for the Hard of Hearing. "It's welcome news for the 26 million
hard-of-hearing people in the US who require captioning to be able to
understand the audio component of streaming video."
AOL captioning is currently available for "Princess Natasha" and for AOL
Member Education Tutorials. Closed captions will be available later this
fall to AOL for Broadband subscribers for three daily feeds of QuickCast,
a three-minute streaming video produced by CNN that encapsulates the day's
headlines, current events and new stories. "Princess Natasha" is an
exclusive cartoon for KOL members, which covers the heroic escapades of
Natasha, a 14-year-old princess and secret agent from the tiny European
kingdom of Zoravia who has moved to Illinois disguised as a foreign
exchange student. AOL Member Education Tutorials consist of step-by-step
slides that guide members through online tasks such as sending email and
setting up Parental Controls.
"Online captions will help kids who are deaf or hard-of-hearing fully
enjoy 'Princess Natasha,' as they watch the series with their hearing
family members and friends," said Malcolm Bird, Senior Vice President and
General Manager, Kids and Teens, America Online. "Captions are a valuable
enhancement to the KOL service and will help ensure that all kids,
regardless of their level of hearing, have access to an Internet
experience that is enriching, relevant to their lives and above all, fun."
Similar to closed captioning for television, AOL captions are displayed
directly beneath the video clip and correspond to the audio content.
Activating the captions is easy and convenient. Members simply click on
the CC button, which appears near the video.
AOL's captioning initiative is an extension of AOL's Accessibility Policy,
a company wide priority that aims to address and meet the technology needs
of people with disabilities. More information on AOL’s accessibility
efforts is available at
http://www.aol.com/accessibility.
About America Online
America Online, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of AOL Time Warner Inc.
Based in Dulles, Virginia, America Online is the world's leader in
interactive services, Web brands, Internet technologies and e-commerce
services. |
