Dear Senator/Representative:

I am writing to urge you to consider supporting the Twenty-first Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2009 (H.R. 3101), and sponsoring the introduction of companion legislation bill for Senate.

This bill is very important to me along with millions of Americans who depend on closed captions.

Please imagine yourself losing your hearing overnight. You are unable to hear the voices or sounds. You will be scared right now.

You would want to get some help to get your hearing back. You will go online to check out for the resources. Unfortunately, there are so many online video streaming links without any closed captions or subtitles. You were unable to access to information about how to restore your hearing. You are lost.

Lost? Just like me.

Imagine yourself renting a movie, Disney’s/Pixar’s Up movie from Netflix, Blockbuster, or Redbox. You put a rental DVD disc in your DVD player. You press the play button, and then you realized that are no settings available for you to turn on captions or subtitles. You will not be able to enjoy this movie with your family. You are alone and shut out.

Alone and shut out? Just like me.

Imagine yourself visiting CNN.com website and there is a breaking news happening about Tiger Woods, and there is a oneline streaming video available with a very brief written statement. You cannot hear what the newscaster is saying. Then everyone else will talk about Tiger Woods and you will have to wait little bit longer for the transcript if available. You feel discriminated.

Discriminated? Just like me.

Imagine yourself taking a very long flight to Europe, and there is a great movie showing, but you cannot use the earphones, because you cannot hear. Then you had to endure a long 12-hour flight reading used airline magazine, while everyone is laughing at the movie. You felt bored.

Bored? Just like me.

Now, in reality, you do have hearing abilities to hear many things, and you are able to access information easily.

You can hear? Not me.

For me, I was born deaf, with a significant hearing loss. That is a different story.

I am a tax-payer, I work full-time, and I own a house. I graduated with my bachelor’s, master’s and specialist degrees. I am a professional working in an education industry. My hearing aides do not enable me to understand what is happening without closed captions or subtitles. When captions or subtitles are available, I can read. I can access to information just like anyone else can access information through sound. I access information through my vision.

Imagine 36 million deaf and hard of hearing citizens cannot access information. Imagine young deaf and hard of children cannot understand online educational videos to stay ahead with the class.

I am worried about all of us, especially in the future that we all will be left behind only if we allow technology move forward without making this accessible for Americans with Disabilities, especially with people with hearing loss.

You can make a difference. Please consider to co-sponsor this bill. You will be grateful when you get older, and your hearing will diminish. You would want to access information online.

You want access? Me too.

Thank you so much for your consideration.

Sincerely yours,

Amy Cohen Efron
Tucker, GA

If you want to write to your representative or senator, write an email from your heart which is the best way to go.

Go to Caption Action 2 website, click here. Check their blogroll. See image below: