What Is Captioning?

Closed captioning is the text of the audio seen on video that provides accessibility to the deaf and hard-of-hearing communities.  Closed captioning is often seen on the televisions at gyms, airports, and restaurants where it can be difficult to hear the sound because of noise or the volume simply being turned down.  People learning English or learning to read often use the closed captioning.

Closed captioning is only visible by turning on the captioning on the television or cable box.  Most television remote controls have a CC button to quickly turn the captions on and off.  Open captioning is visible all the time, and there is no way to turn the captioning off.  Open captioning is uncommon on television but is more often seen on videos on the World Wide Web.

For more information on closed captioning, please refer to the Federal Communications Commission guide at the following link:  http://www.fcc.gov/guides/closed-captioning

Career paths in closed captioning continue to grow as more requirements for closed captioning are put into effect for both television programming and online videos.  To learn more about a career in closed captioning, please refer to the Career Options page of the National Court Reporters Association Web site at the following link:  What is Captioning | NCRA