Miss-Delectable
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The Frederick News-Post Online - Frederick County Maryland Daily Newspaper
During the last election season, closed captioning enabled Sue Burnes, her husband and two children to watch the presidential and vice presidential debates.
But not every aspect of politics is open to them. Burnes, her husband, Ben Bahan, and their two children, ages 11 and 9, are deaf.
They are among the many families in Frederick County who would benefit if the Maryland General Assembly passes a bill requiring captioning on all state and county political ads, or a transcript on the campaign website.
"Deaf and hard of hearing people are voters and taxpayers," Bahan wrote in an e-mail. "We want to know what the candidates are saying to make informed decision."
Captioning gives deaf viewers access to information they would otherwise miss, Burnes said. That is important because they are unable to hear radio broadcasts.
"To empower the deaf citizens of America, the enthusiasm of being involved politically takes place when we have access to information, this involves closed captions on televised campaign advertisements," Burnes wrote in an e-mail.
Both of their children attend the Maryland School for the Deaf, where Superintendent James Tucker thinks students would benefit from access to political ads.
"Full access É empowers all voters including individuals who are deaf and hard of hearing," Tucker wrote in an e-mail. "Campaign videos in audio formats should always have a text equivalent."
Sen. Norman Stone, a Baltimore County Democrat, introduced the bill at the request of the state's deaf community. They wanted to be fully aware of the candidates and positions, and he does not think it will cause problems for the advertisers.
"Just about everything else that most major stations air already are closed captioned," he said.
His bill, pending before the Senate Education, Health and Environmental Affairs Committee, would require closed captioning on cable and web political ads, or for a transcript on the campaign website. It also requires website transcripts of radio ads.
Similar laws have been enacted in Florida, Rhode Island and Minnesota.
Howard Gorrell, a former resident of Mount Airy who lives in Fairfield, Pa., is one of those who requested the bill.
He used to work for the Republican National Congressional Committee and was discouraged last summer when he didn't know what some congressional candidates were saying. He testified in favor of the bill last month.
Frederick Delegate Rick Weldon, unaffiliated, thinks politicians should figure out that captioning could help them win votes.
"One intrepid politician who runs a campaign ad that says: 'I care enough about all people to produce this ad with closed captioning. Why don't my competitors?' will certainly encourage others to follow suit, or risk the consequences," he said.
He sees no overt drawbacks to a requirement, but said, "Once we start defining political speech to address certain disabilities, where does that stop?"
About 15 percent, or 32.5 million, of American adults said they have some hearing loss, according to the National Institute of Deafness and Other Communications Disorders.
Federal Communications Commission rules do not require closed captioning for any ads of five minutes or less. State election law does not address captioning requirements other than who paid for the ad.
State Sen. David Brinkley, a Republican who represents Frederick and Carroll counties, said he has never had anyone request closed captioning of his TV ads.
He wants to know more about how the requirement would be implemented before he decides how to vote. He'd like to find out who can add captioning and if there would be any technical problems captioning a short ad.
Yerker Andersson, of Frederick, is deaf and follows political issues. The law should require equal access by using captions, he said.
"In this way, deaf, hard of hearing and hearing persons will have a chance to share their thoughts or opinions instead of discriminating actions," Andersson wrote in an e-mail.
Spring Ridge resident Lynn Jacobowitz wants to take it a step further.
"We can't be treated as second-class citizens," she said through an interpreter.
She thinks the law should also require a American Sign Language interpreter. That form is easiest to read, she said.
She doesn't think politicians should caption ads only to win deaf voters. No matter who the ad targets, all citizens should be able to understand it, she said.
"It's our right to have equal access to language, communication, anything in the mass media."
During the last election season, closed captioning enabled Sue Burnes, her husband and two children to watch the presidential and vice presidential debates.
But not every aspect of politics is open to them. Burnes, her husband, Ben Bahan, and their two children, ages 11 and 9, are deaf.
They are among the many families in Frederick County who would benefit if the Maryland General Assembly passes a bill requiring captioning on all state and county political ads, or a transcript on the campaign website.
"Deaf and hard of hearing people are voters and taxpayers," Bahan wrote in an e-mail. "We want to know what the candidates are saying to make informed decision."
Captioning gives deaf viewers access to information they would otherwise miss, Burnes said. That is important because they are unable to hear radio broadcasts.
"To empower the deaf citizens of America, the enthusiasm of being involved politically takes place when we have access to information, this involves closed captions on televised campaign advertisements," Burnes wrote in an e-mail.
Both of their children attend the Maryland School for the Deaf, where Superintendent James Tucker thinks students would benefit from access to political ads.
"Full access É empowers all voters including individuals who are deaf and hard of hearing," Tucker wrote in an e-mail. "Campaign videos in audio formats should always have a text equivalent."
Sen. Norman Stone, a Baltimore County Democrat, introduced the bill at the request of the state's deaf community. They wanted to be fully aware of the candidates and positions, and he does not think it will cause problems for the advertisers.
"Just about everything else that most major stations air already are closed captioned," he said.
His bill, pending before the Senate Education, Health and Environmental Affairs Committee, would require closed captioning on cable and web political ads, or for a transcript on the campaign website. It also requires website transcripts of radio ads.
Similar laws have been enacted in Florida, Rhode Island and Minnesota.
Howard Gorrell, a former resident of Mount Airy who lives in Fairfield, Pa., is one of those who requested the bill.
He used to work for the Republican National Congressional Committee and was discouraged last summer when he didn't know what some congressional candidates were saying. He testified in favor of the bill last month.
Frederick Delegate Rick Weldon, unaffiliated, thinks politicians should figure out that captioning could help them win votes.
"One intrepid politician who runs a campaign ad that says: 'I care enough about all people to produce this ad with closed captioning. Why don't my competitors?' will certainly encourage others to follow suit, or risk the consequences," he said.
He sees no overt drawbacks to a requirement, but said, "Once we start defining political speech to address certain disabilities, where does that stop?"
About 15 percent, or 32.5 million, of American adults said they have some hearing loss, according to the National Institute of Deafness and Other Communications Disorders.
Federal Communications Commission rules do not require closed captioning for any ads of five minutes or less. State election law does not address captioning requirements other than who paid for the ad.
State Sen. David Brinkley, a Republican who represents Frederick and Carroll counties, said he has never had anyone request closed captioning of his TV ads.
He wants to know more about how the requirement would be implemented before he decides how to vote. He'd like to find out who can add captioning and if there would be any technical problems captioning a short ad.
Yerker Andersson, of Frederick, is deaf and follows political issues. The law should require equal access by using captions, he said.
"In this way, deaf, hard of hearing and hearing persons will have a chance to share their thoughts or opinions instead of discriminating actions," Andersson wrote in an e-mail.
Spring Ridge resident Lynn Jacobowitz wants to take it a step further.
"We can't be treated as second-class citizens," she said through an interpreter.
She thinks the law should also require a American Sign Language interpreter. That form is easiest to read, she said.
She doesn't think politicians should caption ads only to win deaf voters. No matter who the ad targets, all citizens should be able to understand it, she said.
"It's our right to have equal access to language, communication, anything in the mass media."