JOIN TODAY, IF YOU USE CAPTIONS, NEED CAPTIONS, KNOW OTHERS WHO DO – WE NEED YOU TOO! #CAPTIONTHEWORLD

SUCCESS! CCAC ADVOCACY HEARD BY NEW YORK TIMES! THANKS EVERYONE. https://ccacblog.wordpress.com/2015/03/24/success-new-york-times-hears-ccac-campaign-starts-quality-cc/, more information on Advocacy tab and also on CCAC blog  https://ccacblog.wordpress.com/2015/03/20/new-york-times-videos-have-no-captioning-help-advocate/? preview=true&preview_id=2143&preview_nonce=e9d5ac508b

HOW ABOUT YOUR FAVORITE NEWSPAPER ONLINE – DO THEY USE QUALITY CC? We just contacted The Guardian (UK) and hope to get a reply. Advocate! 

CCAC MEMBER WINS $100 GIFT CERTIFICATE TO CELEBRATE CCAC’S FIFTH BIRTHDAY. CONGRATS TO ALL WHO ASK FOR CAPTIONING!

CCAC PAYS FOR LIVE CAPTIONING. OFERS EIGHT (8!) LIVE CAPTIONING SPONSORSHIPS IN 2015 – FOR 5 SELECTED LARGER CONFERENCES AND FOR 3 ELIGIBLE NON-PROFIT EVENTS. SEE ADVOCACY TAB AND SPREAD THE WORDS.

CAPTIONING COMMUNICATES – CCAC MEMBERS ASK FOR CAPTIONING LOCALLY, NATIONALLY, INTERNATIONALLY – SAY IT WITH US – CAPTIONS FOR ALL – SUBTITLES – CART – STTR – TEXT INTERPRETING – CAPTION THE WORLD. WHERE DO YOU NEED CAPTIONS IN 2015 AND 2016? TELL US SOON. WE WANT TO MAKE IT HAPPEN! MAKING PROGRESS, STEP BY STEP.  

Captioning is convincing. We need quality captioning on all media, everywhere, and live at public events. It’s the world’s language. Where do you need it?

“@CCACaptioning Your mission speaks to my heart. Captions are vital for accessing content and there aren’t enough of them.” – thank you!” 

“CCAC- Grass roots advocacy at it’s best!” from long-time expert advocate – thank you!

CCAC – What is it? Programs? Why join us? – Captioning is the Language of the World – Captioning is Communication Access – Every voice counts.  

“My hat’s off to you CCAC for all the work and effort you put into advocacy for inclusion with captioning and CART! Thanks again.”

The Collaborative for Communication Access via Captioning (CCAC) is the only official  501(c)3 non-profit organization nationally and internationally with a sole focus on advocacy for captioning inclusion, and all volunteers.  As a large active and official charity, CCAC also is a hub for many new captioning advocates across the USA and globally. CCAC communicates, educates, raises awareness, and advocates. Captioning speaks to us!

Many students, employees, patients and customers need live quality captioning for meetings, interviews, classroom learning, work and travel.  All aspects of everyday human life (e.g. family ceremonies like marriage and graduation) are deserving of equal communication for anyone who needs captioning. 

Captioning is the (receptive) language when hearing is missing or low. Hearing loss happens at all ages, and especially with long lives. Captioning is also the world’s language for translations and world communications, hearing or not. Captioning benefits many others for different reasons that have nothing to do with hearing loss. Captioning sends the message. CCAC efforts include these programs:

1. CCAC is a non-commercial free resource. Extensive web education and information. CCAC does not sell captioning, nor create captioning. We educate, raise awareness, and advocate every day.  CCAC volunteers welcome and provide captioning for selected CCAC advocacy projects like the CCAC film, and limited free captioning for selected events. 

2. CCAC encourages all to participate in the CCAC working community online by joining the CCAC. A CCAC forum for members is open 24/7 all year long with additional valuable information, serious discussions and actions for captioning education, citizen advocacy, with consumers, providers and supporters together. 

3. CCAC offers a non-profit service to help anyone or any group find a media Captioner or CART (Live Captioning) provider. CCAC’s CaptionMatch.com makes it easy for anyone to learn more about asking for and inclusion of captioning. An individual or organization can find what is needed for different budgets. Not a captioning company. Registered providers are available. Ask now. 

4. CCAC does original research exploring the benefits of captioning, why people need captioning and more, published online and in journals. See tabs called “Advocacy” and “Resources.” 

5. CCAC supports and mentors advocates regularly about how to ask for and find needed captioning, how to open conversations with others, how to continue to reach the goal of captioning inclusion.  Model advocacy letters are shared.

Captioning advocates from many backgrounds and internationally enrich our learning and expand advocacy effectiveness. The world is listening. Local, national, and international communications make sense.  

6. CCAC joins in collaborations with other long-established and newer groups (e.g. about hearing loss, accessibility, deafness, education, languages, technologies, user experience, universal design, health care, and more) to support all campaigns aiming to educate about unmet needs for captioning.

7. The CCAC Film – “Don’t Leave Me Out!” – a public service and already viewed by thousands globally, captioned in several languages. Find the tab above. 

8. CCAC’s activity on social media expands CCAC outreach and programs to raise awareness, educate, and advocate, and also develops meaningful support  for others. About 5,000 friends, fans and followers are with the CCAC and we aim for 10,000. Help make it happen, with thanks if you spread these words.

9. CCAC advances targeted campaigns for communication with captioning inclusion in many areas of healthy life such as in school, for employment, health care, entertainment, government, and more. One example – highly-regarded non-partisan Captioning Campaign for Candidates – see the tab above for “Captions Capture the Votes!”

10. CCAC is the only “hub” of its kind to share captioning information widely –  from creation of captioning, to standards and quality of captioning, to national and international efforts to improve captioning inclusion.

Champion captioning with the CCAC  – join soon! Many copy CCAC lingo to promote individual projects, and some give CCAC credit and thanks! Cheers for all captioning advocacy! 

NEW – FREE LIVE CAPTIONING for your CONFERENCES AND EVENTS. TWO PROGRAMS.  See tab above and apply – we have sponsorships to give you or your organization. (CCAC pays the provider). Provider suggestions invited.  

CCAC is making a difference! Join and support the CCAC. Donations are tax-exempt. Share your captioning questions and news. Whether you are an active participant or not, a supporting partner, or just curious to learn more, join today.

CCAC Member says, “…with real-time captioning I belong! I’m no longer an outcast because I cannot hear what is going on.”

What Is Captioning? 

Captioning is a readable text (written) display of all sounds, voices, conversations, presentations, audio tracks, and more. Some captioning is “real time” and “live” and “face to face” during meetings and conference, for consultations and conversations, and is called CART or STTR or Velotype or Palantype, depending on your country  (CART uses steno, similar to velotype and palantype in other countries). Some captioning is created during media production (e.g. for cinema. television, Internet broadcasting, DVD’s). Some is real time also for media online, and some is added after production. For all media streamed on the Internet or shown anyplace (school, work community centers, medical areas, airports, etc.) millions need real time captioning for equal access.

Parent of child with deafness says, “Absolutely you may quote me! I really believe in the need for captioning. It has been amazing watching my son learn to read (he’s just 6) and the difference it has made in his life.” 

…………………………….

What does CCAC do and why is it important?

Collaborative for Communication Access via Captioning (“CCAC”) is the only consumer advocacy organization of it’s vibrant unique structure to focus solely on captioning advocacy universally. Access means inclusion. Inclusion means participation and giving back. Access is healthy and lack of access is a major public health concern in all countries.  

Communication barriers (lack of captioning) is not an option. CCAC works tirelessly to promote inclusion in all arenas. Whether rail or air travel; universal access to healthcare; education; government agencies and all aspects of corporate communications. Captions- both real-time and pre-recorded benefit millions of people and create an even playing field that is the foundation so that no one is excluded. Captioning a music video brings the lyrics to life…. A comedian’s captioned performance ensures that laughter abounds….and captioning all in-flight messages and videos creates equal access to the blue skies…. 
(submitted by CCAC member – former presidential adviser)

CCAC considers Captioning more than a technology like a hearing aid, implants, or looping. Many technologies help some people in some situations. Captioning is language itself. While it uses technology, it also rescues us from unhealthy exclusion. It’s a vital and primary communication method (as is sign language). 

See ccacaptioning.org/ccac-advocacy/ and the other tabs above to read more. Help achieve the mission – inclusion and equal communication access with captioning. 

CCAC member says, “With real-time captioning, I can attend, understand, and contribute to a discussion with less fear that I’ve missed a crucial point or even have the topic confused. It gives me more confidence that I’m understanding new information.”

CCAC consumer member making donation says: “You are doing great work, that’s the message. Advocacy works.”  

Pledge to share videos only with quality captioning.  CCACaptioning@gmail.com

Invite your local and national broadcasters to take the pledge. Email them to tell them about it and ask for quality cc now online. This is part of continuing Internet Captioning Advocacy done regularly by CCAC members.

Do you like what you know about CCAC so far? Using CCAC materials for your work? For other groups? Finding CCAC informative, creative, open and welcoming? Please donate now to help CCAC move forward using ccacaptioning.org/donate/

CCAC is an official non-profit 501 (c) 3 organization. Your donation is tax-deductible. Please support the CCAC with a donation of any size or a small advertisement on the CCAC web. All revenue goes solely toward annual costs of CCAC captioning advocacy activities. We are all volunteers. PayPal is in the right column on each page here.

E-mail for information. 

CCAC invites you to subscribe and comment on the CCAC blog (public) and find us on social media.

Need a Flyer about Captioning for your conferences and meetings? Use this one or talk to us about a  new one. Easy to do: ccacaptioning.org/ccac-flyer/ and email if you need clean copy or PDF version.

CCAC members say: “I am so proud of the work you do on the CCAC. All your posts are insightful, tasteful, and easy to understand. Thanks for all you do”.

“I hope in my lifetime captioning will become so mainstream that you won’t have to even think about it.”

“The CCAC is doing an amazing job to advocate for captioning inclusion, and it’s taken off like wildfire!”

“Why didn’t I know about the CCAC forum online before? It’s a life saver! thank you.”

The CCAC official non-profit organization is a human service group. Human service is “meeting human needs …a nd  maintaining a commitment to improving the overall quality of life of service populations. See www.nationalhumanservices.org/what-is-human-services and support the CCAC with a donation of any size, with thanks in advance. 

IF YOU HAVE READ ALL THE WAY DOWN TO HERE, THANK YOU!

NEED A SPEAKER ON CAPTIONING OR HEARING LOSS? The founder and president of the CCAC (Lauren E. Storck) welcomes invitations to speak at conferences, schools, other events. Transportation and accommodation costs are requested, and a very small stipend. CCACaptioning@gmail.com

CCAC – Captioning Advocacy – Globally