I am hearing (age 48) but have been in the Deaf Community for 28 years through family and friends, (not work) and I am very used to seeing closed captioning every day in my home.

My hearing son (whose father is deaf) grew up seeing every show captioned that was possible and it helped him learn to read much faster than the other hearing kids in his class! Closed Captioning is EXCELLENT for hearing people too!

I have been frustrated by Netflix too because there is no closed captioning. I don’t have any hearing impairment at this time, who knows about my old age? but I still miss a lot of good information and some important words while watching Netflix because they doesn’t provide the captioning for us. I also like to watch movies with my deaf friends and it is sad that we always have to go out to rent or buy a DVD instead of being able to watch the downloaded Netflix movies conveniently at home with the paid subscription.

When I first went to Gallaudet University in 1983 for a year of undergrad Psychology studies, closed captioning was JUST BEGINNING on TV. Only 4 shows on TV were captioned and they won a very loyal Deaf audience. Dallas, Dynasty, Three’s Company & NBC news. Then it grew from there…

It seems like Netflix is blatantly ignoring the logical and humanitarian reasons and spirit of the ADA ruling to bring the viewing of downloaded shows backwards 28 years!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Maybe a few smart Deaf companies can get together to build a Netflix competitor that offers captioning on EVERYTHING! I’d switch over to get closed captioning, even if I had to pay 20% more per month. Would be even better for any parents of Deaf AND hearing children to be able to show downloaded captioned movies on mobile devices like Apple Iphones & the new Sprint MyPhones.

That’s where the market is headed. Just like the Wall Street Ticker Tape numbers that run across the screen in bars across America, close captioning on downstreaming video on ANY device would help anyone in a noisy place, or who does not speak English as a first language, or any child who needs help learning as early as possible how to differentiate the crazy way that English words are spelled for the same sounding pronunciation. Words like “night” & “knight”, or “there” “their” and “they’re”.

So Netflix wins one point for offering streaming video on demand! But loses 3 points in my opinion for taking us backward in time by ignoring the multitude of needs for Closed Captioning by ALL of the Deaf, hearing, foreign and child audiences out there.

No one wins when companies ignore the needs of the public.

So come on… Any Deaf companies want to take on Netflix and show them how it should be done?

Let me know and I’ll sign up right away!

I feel like getting a DVD while other people are watching online, is same as being treated as a second class citizen.

Amy Cohen Efron

There are just as good alternatives: Redbox in many grocery and general stores offering $1. movie rentals for overnights, free loan DVDs in the local library, buying DVDs from the bargain bins at Wal-mart and Blockbuster for less than $5 each, and so on.

Make Netflix suffer for a while. Then come back when they start offering captions on their films online.