Did you know that 8.9 million people are deaf or hard of hearing in the UK? In a population of around 59 million, that's 1 in 7 people. This group is composed mainly of older members of society who are increasingly technology literate and have large amounts of leisure time. Subtitles are also increasingly used by second language learners, and it has been proven that literacy levels improve with the use of subtitles.
Although there is at present no statutory obligation in the UK to include subtitles on DVDs or home videos, the 2002 Communications Bill requires that in 10 years time subtitles be provided for 90% of output on ITV, Channel 4 and five, and 80% of the output of digital channels. Terrestrial channels are approaching these figures already. These high percentages reflect the need in society for this service. Ethically, and commercially, it makes sense to include subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing on any DVD or home video release.
The situation is similar in other countries. The deaf and hard-of-hearing population in the European Union is approximately 22 million, i.e. 1 in 7 people – and this percentage is expected to increase by 22% in the next 15 years. In the US the deaf and hard-of-hearing population reaches 28 million. Obligatory captioning for broadcast has already reached 100% in the US, and the issue of subtitling and access issues in general is constantly brought to the forefront and discussed at the European Parliament. The result is that subtitles for the hard of hearing are increasingly broadcast in many countries, both in and outside the EU, even where no relevant legislation is in place yet. Furthermore, ethnic minorities use subtitles to gain better access to information, improve their language skills and integrate faster in their countries of residence.
Building on NCI’s experience in access issues, ECI’s experienced team produce subtitles for the hard of hearing in several languages, as well as captions for cinema, DVD, home video and broadcast. See the Closed Captioning section for further details on the services we offer in this area.