Why do television shows have ASL interpreters, and not CC?

Question

I’m watching the Apple livestream (yeah, bored). There is an optional large section, about a third of the screen, with someone translating into ASL. Most government livestreams do the same, and many others.

It would *seem* that anyone capable of reading onscreen ASL would be capable of reading closed captions. I understand that ASL is its own language, so it’s not just English, but it’s easy to add multi-language CC, fully automated.

So what is the purpose of a separate ASL stream, as opposed to just having multi-lingual CC?

In: 23

Answer 1

ASL interpreters are more inclusive for people who rely on sign language as their primary means of communication. Closed captioning doesn’t capture the full essence of spoken language for those who are culturally Deaf or hard of hearing.

So, first off, ASL (American Sign Language) is more than just a set of hand gestures to represent English words; it’s a full-fledged language with its own syntax, idioms, and nuances. For someone who’s been using ASL their whole life, interpreting English closed captions can be like reading a second language. For real, imagine you had to constantly translate stuff in your head while trying to keep up with a live event. That’s a mental workout, and not everyone’s down for that.

Plus, you gotta realize that closed captioning isn’t always reliable. It’s often delayed, or the text can get jumbled up. Ever watch something with CC on and go, “Wait, what?” cause the captions just butchered what was actually said? ASL interpreters are trained to convey not just the words, but the tone and context as well.

Government livestreams, Apple events, and the like, they’re all trying to be more accessible. It’s not just about meeting legal requirements but actually making sure the info is comprehensible to as many folks as possible. Deaf culture puts a big emphasis on visual and physical interaction, and ASL interpreters fit that bill.

So yeah, multilingual CC could work for some people, but it’s not a one-size-fits-all solution. Adding an ASL interpreter makes the content more accessible and inclusive for a community that might find captions insufficient.