WATA Bulletin: Winter 2005
Contents:
Making Captioning Easier with Automation
Kevin Erler, Ph.D., and Brent Robertson, Automatic Sync Technologies
Benefits of Closed Captioning
Captioning is central to helping people who are deaf or hearing impaired to participate in mainstream society. Closed captioning on television broadcasts since the early 1980s has been a great boon to the deaf community, providing a crucial link to news, entertainment, and education.
Captioning as part of a multi-channel approach to comprehension and learning also supports other individuals with disabilities, including people with cognitive disabilities such as dyslexia or autism. In addition, captioning benefits those with Limited English Proficiency, and adults or children learning to read.
According to a report by the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, there are currently over 28 million Americans who are hearing impaired. The National Captioning Institute Foundation estimates that more than 100 million Americans benefit from captioned programming.
Obstacles to Captioning
Although federal regulations have continued to require access to media for people with disabilities in many domains, obstacles remain. Digital video technology has driven both the number of video producers and the quantity of content produced to new highs, but many of these new forms of media are not regularly captioned. Video on the web (online courses, news clips, virtual tours, etc.), in particular, are increasingly popular but are rarely captioned.
High costs and long turn-around times for captioning have hampered efforts to provide universal access to video resources. Current captioning is costly and can be slow because it is largely dependent upon manual processes, requiring expert judgment to break the transcript up into intelligible captions and synchronize them with the audio.
New Solutions to Address Old Problems
While regulations encourage captioning, the best way to get widespread compliance is to directly address the barriers that confront video producers. With this in mind, Automatic Sync Technologies ( AST) has been working on a project to reduce the barriers to captioning by:
- Substantially reducing the cost of captioning
- Offering significantly faster turnaround time
- Providing a solution that is convenient and easy to use
AST has received funding from the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (through the Small Business Innovation Research program) to develop an automated captioning system that allows users to submit their content via a website, and receive their caption results within about 10 minutes. Automated captioning automates the process of breaking up the transcript text into intelligible captions, synchronizing them to the audio, and formatting the output captioning file.
AST's automated captioning system can be used for videotape captioning, but it is particularly well suited to captioning for DVD and web media (such as Real Media, QuickTime Movies, or Windows Media Video). Users simply submit their media file, along with a text transcript to a website, and caption files will be emailed back to them, normally in 10 minutes or less. A modest processing fee is required.
For more information, visit www.automaticsync.com/caption, or email info@automaticsync.com.
Assistive Technology Act of 2004 continues support of state AT programs
Debbie Cook, Director, Washington Assistive Technology Alliance
Millions of people with disabilities rely on assistive technologies, such as wheelchairs, communication devices and adapted computers, in order to pursue their education, obtain and maintain a job, and participate in community and leisure activities.
On October 25, 2004, President George W. Bush signed into law the Assistive Technology (AT) Act of 2004 (HR 4278). The legislation supporting state assistive technology programs was scheduled to sunset on September 30, 2004. The AT Act of 2004 supports the continuance of state AT programs and eliminates the sunset provision.
Every state and U.S. territory has an Assistive Technology Act Program funded under the provisions of the Technology-Related Assistance Act of 1988. Washington Assistive Technology Alliance (WATA) is the AT Act Program in Washington State.
Since it's inception in 1993, WATA has implemented strategies to raise awareness of assistive technology and resources, and has worked with systems such as education, rehabilitation, and health services to increase access to assistive technology devices and services for people with disabilities in Washington state.
WATA accomplishments include:- training and consultation for more than 16 state and local government agencies to make their web sites and other information technologies more accessible
- comprehensive training with lectures and labs for vocational rehabilitation staff and other employment service providers on AT assessment and implementation
- training and materials to support increased access to online information in post-secondary education
- consultation and support for libraries, WorkSource Centers, and other entities regarding accessibility of public use computer workstations
- establishment of the Washington Assistive Technology Foundation, which is now an independent entity providing financial loans for AT
- the AT lending program established through the King County Traveling Library
- online resources including a comprehensive web site, the AT Exchange the AT Forum, and the WATA Bulletin
- increasing the number of professionals with AT expertise thorough pre-service curricula at the University of Washington, Western Washington University, and other public and private post-secondary schools, and through a week-long summer institute for professionals.
The AT Act of 2004 focuses on the development or continuation of specific programs that ensure direct access to technology, including assistive technology loan programs, device demonstration programs, device reutilization programs, and alternative financing such as resources offered through the Washington Assistive Technology Foundation.
In addition, AT programs are responsible for implementing training and technical assistance, with special emphasis on assistance for individuals with disabilities who are transitioning from school to work or continued education; and for conducting public awareness activities, information and referral services, and coordination and collaboration with public and private entities that are responsible for programs, services, policies or funding of assistive technology services.
The AT Act of 2004 also clarifies states' responsibilities to ensure access to electronic and information technology as defined under Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Activities carried out under and supported with federal funds received under the AT Act of 2004 are required to comply with Section 508 standards.
That's the good news! The less good news is that WATA will probably have reduced funding in 2005 so we will have to be very creative in carrying out all these activities. However, we are very much looking forward to the coming year. Watch the WATA Bulletin for details on our projects and activities.
Calendar of Events
Technology and Persons With Disabilities,
March 14-19, 2005 ~ Los Angeles, CA
CSUN's 20th Annual International Conference on Technology and Persons with Disabilities is the longest-running
and largest annual university-sponsored conference of its kind. It is a major training venue for professionals
involved in the field of disability and technology. For more information: Center On Disabilities, California
State University, Northridge, 18111 Nordhoff St., Northridge, CA 91330-8340, 818-677-2578 or
http://www.csun.edu/cod/conf/index.htm.
Power Up 2005,
April 17-19, 2005, Osage Beach, MO
Power Up 2005 Conference and Exposition, sponsored by the Missouri Assistive Technology Advisory Council,
has a mission of strengthening the capacity of people with disabilities, educators, health professionals, IT
technicians, librarians & media specialists, and service providers. Power Up features a variety of sessions
which provide up-to-date information on disability related policy, assistive technology services and devices,
independent living issues, educational policy and practices, and information technology accessibility to enhance
and promote independence of people with disabilities. For more information, contact Brenda Whitlock, by
email: bwhitlock@swbell.net; phone: (816) 350-5288; (in Missouri)
TTY: 800-647-8558; voice: 800-647-8557. Write: Conference Coordinator, Missouri Assistive Technology,
4731 S. Cochise, Suite 114, Independence, MO 64055. On the web at: http://www.at.mo.gov/Powerup2005/powerup.shtm
An Introduction to Assistive Technology: Summer Institute 2005,
June 20-23, 2005, University of Washington Seattle Campus, WA
Topics covered will include assistive technology: the fundamentals; augmentative and alternative communication;
computer access technologies; funding for assistive technology; technology for people with learning disabilities;
seating, positioning, and mobility; hearing assistance technology; environmental control units; web accessibility
and individuals with low vision or blindness; and case studies and consultations. Participants will experience
alternative computer access hardware and software, and software to aid individuals who have blindness or low
vision, limited mobility, or difficulties with reading and writing during hands-on labs. Academic credit,
CRCCs, and clock hours are available. For more information including registration, please contact UWCTDS at
800-841-8345 (toll-free within Washington State, V/TTY), 206-616-1396 (TTY/TTY Message), via email at
uwctds@u.washington.edu, or on the Web at
http://uwctds.washington.edu/.
RESNA 2005: 28th International Conference on Technology & Disability: Research, Design, Practice & Policy,
June 23 - 27, 2004, Atlanta , GA
RESNA 2005, sponsored by the Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America,
brings together people who use, develop, manufacture and deliver assistive and rehabilitative technologies.
Information: RESNA, 1700 N. Moore Street, Suite 1540, Arlington, VA 22209-1903, 703-524-6686, info@resna.org
or http://www.resna.org/.
For calendar updates, visit the Web at:
http://wata.org/calendar.htm
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WATA Bulletin
Box 357920
Seattle WA 98195-7920
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e-mail: uwat@u.washington.edu
Visit our Web site at http://wata.org
The WATA Bulletin is supported by grant H224A3006 from the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research, U.S. Department of Education, to the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, Olympia, WA.