“A hearing-impaired Ohio State University football fan has sued the school, arguing that the university should offer captioning on the scoreboard and stadium televisions because he can’t hear the announcers.” [Akron Beacon-Journal]
“A hearing-impaired Ohio State University football fan has sued the school, arguing that the university should offer captioning on the scoreboard and stadium televisions because he can’t hear the announcers.” [Akron Beacon-Journal]
20 Comments
Mr. Sabino could simply buy a portable television that supports closed captioning. But what fun is that when you can tie up a university’s budget defending lose-lose litigation?
[…] […]
A hearing-impaired fan could still see the action on the field.
I am not hearing impaired. I have been to a few college football games. I usually cannot hear the announcers.
I am going slightly the other way on this. The guy is asking that the monitors in the stadium have closed captioning. Most of us have seen these monitors that are there so while you are in line at a concession stand, you can still see the game going on. In that the video is 1) different from the actual action on the field (due to replays, commercials, etc) and 2) the over the air announcers are giving information that is not seen on the monitor, closed captioning seems reasonable to me
As an example, you may have a play where there is a holding call, but the tv does not show the referee’s signal. All you have is some announcer saying what the call is.
You now have the guy in line getting a hot dog who has no idea why his team is backed up 15 yards.
In that most stations are closed captioned, and most stadiums carry the broadcasts of the games, close captioning the monitors seems reasonable to me.
Yet this 32 year old jumps the shark when he says that he can’t follow the game when he is in his seat. You have the game in front of you. Watch and learn.
Geez, get a dang scoreboard. You’re a freaking university. Half the people at the game are probably too drunk to remember it anyways.
@Gita: He’s not asking for closed captioning just on those TVs, but rather on the large scoreboard. The problem is that in this case, in order to be legible, the font would have the be so large as too block out actual game action, or the stats being shown.
How about if all sports are required to have blimps overhead, each with a transcript of the announcers’ remarks displayed on the side? Instead of simply saying ‘Hood’ or ‘Goodyear’, the announcements could be tagged with the name of the local Members of Congress.
True, this might screw with the advertising income of blimp owners, but you know, it’s for the children and the other-abled.
The decision here may be pivotal, I am very interested to see how it plays out 🙂
This assumes then that TVs can be seen from every seat in the stadium….they cannot. So, not only will you have to create a CC system, which will include at least 2 CC data entry people, but you have to make sure that all, including those with vision impairments, can easily view the CC.
How about just hiring Garrett Morris?
Bob
TraciHae:
He’s not asking for closed captioning just on those TVs, but rather on the large scoreboard.
I realize that, which is why I said he jumps the shark when he starts making the demand for closed captioning on the scoreboard while in his seat.
Bob Neal:
This assumes then that TVs can be seen from every seat in the stadium….they cannot.
The article states that he wants to be able to know what is going on in the game like everyone else when he goes to the concession stand or the restrooms. I think that is reasonable. What I don’t think is reasonable is when he starts making demands on accomodations that do not have anything to do with his enjoyment or understanding of the game such as closed captioning on the stadium screen.
Who can ever hear the announcer at these games any way? How about following the game by looking at the field like everyone else? How on earth are these demands technologically or financially feasible?
I love the sick, evil smile on the plaintiff.
This type of malicious lawsuit abuse cries out for Loser Pays.
You are SO old!
But so am I.
lol
The yankees have a side screen next to the jumbotron that does closed captioning complete with sound effects. Wonder if they were threatened with similar action.
*applause*
The cheaper option is to get rid of the announcers so that everyone is on the same footing.
If they want to keep the announcer but still feel for whatever reason it would be a good idea to have closed captioning, it could be done with a portable reader and radio link, that could be checked out at the gate such as they do with amplified headphones in some venues. They could even be rented or sold to the non-hearing impaired and could have advertising.
I am confused. Does Ohio State have an announcer who gives a play by play commentary to the fans in the stands? I’m just a poor Gamecock fan and there is no way I could hear something like this over the crowd at our games.
He’s really a Michigan fan.
😀
Having worked at a school for the deaf, and also having many deaf friends, I, to a large extent, empathize with Mr. Sabino. Experiencing a football game is, for the most part, visual; I agree. However, there are some vital things that Mr. Sabino is missing out on by not having the captioning. For instance, Mr. Sabino may not be aware that a certain runningback may be breaking a long held school record. Sure he can see the runningback carry the ball, but is Mr. Sabino expected to know every record of every stat and the stats of every player on the field to know that the running back is on the verge of breaking a record? Also, Mr. Sabino would like the captioning on the jumbotron b/c he wants to see the words and the picture at the same time. If the jumbotron were to replay a run or a pass, and if the announcer were to announce the key players in the replay, it would be a bit of a burden for Mr. Sabino to look down at a captioning device, then look at the jumbotron, then back to the captioning device, then back to the jumbotron.
Is it too demanding on the school to implement a captioning system on the jumbotron?