TV Sign Language

originally posted by: MRinder
a reply to: UpIsNowDown

That's the point. Deaf people wouldn't be cut out they would just have to use closed caption just like they do when they watch everything else on TV. Only .38% of the population in the US is deaf. Does it really make sense to waste the money when they can just use closed caption? Are we going to cater to every single disability and minority in existence when there is already a viable solution that's free?

25,000,000

a reply to: mysterioustranger

LOL that would be 7% of the population. I highly doubt 7% of the population can even decipher sign language.

And even if was 7% of the population, closed caption would still work just fine.. and you dont need a cable connection to get closed caption it works over the regular air waves as well. Politicians just like to virtue signal at every opportunity.

originally posted by: AugustusMasonicus

originally posted by: Stupidsecrets
Take into account all these Federal positions and State ones, the cost to tax payers is in the millions. Likely 10's of millions. All for a service that is basically a luxury when CC can do it for much less with good results.

There's 13 Federal employees, I seriously doubt it's tens of millions across the United States.

I'm not buying that there are only 13 federal employees, but when the average wage of them is 88k... That's a million and a half a year for just 13 interpreters. If you don't think states have more than that even...... I mean there are 50 states, there is no way it's not 10's of millions.

originally posted by: JIMC5499

originally posted by: MRinder
a reply to: UpIsNowDown

That's the point. Deaf people wouldn't be cut out they would just have to use closed caption just like they do when they watch everything else on TV.

It would surprise you how many people don't have televisions that can handle closed captioning. Then there is a surprising number of people who live in areas where they have no cable and now way to receive closed captioning.

What? Every TV made in the last 20 years does closed captioning. Every.single.one. You can also get Closed Captioning through Rabbit Ears, which is a regular antenna. No cable required.

The people who don't have cable are likely not watching these broadcasts, since they don't have CNN/Fox News/RT -- all they have is local news channels.

BUT; those local news channels have CC.


The tube TV I had back in 1988 supported closed captioning.

Like -- really, show me a television that doesn't support Closed Captioning.

I literally just tried to find a television set that didn't support it; couldn't. It's not real, every TV set whether it's cable or not, supports captioning.

originally posted by: SRPrime
I'm not buying that there are only 13 federal employees...

Federal employee wage data is public. Only lazy people don't look it up.

...but when the average wage of them is 88k... That's a million and a half a year for just 13 interpreters. If you don't think states have more than that even...... I mean there are 50 states, there is no way it's not 10's of millions.

Why do you think they are all full time? My aunt is an interpreter for the State of New Jersey but her full time job is teaching ESL and Italian at college. It's not like someone needs to stand around all day doing sign language, they only need to be there for pressers and the like.