Research conducted to mark Caption Awareness Week has found that two-thirds of the public sometimes find it difficult to hear what is happening when watching TV or live performances.
The report, shared by the charity Stagetext, says demand for captioned performances is increasing, and that an increase in the use of captioned live performances and video calls during lockdown has given hope to people who are deaf, deafened or hard of hearing.
Stagetext said that pre-lockdown figures revealed that just one per cent of live performances were captioned and the level of need became clear from the surge in the use of captions as performances shifted online.
The report said 24 per cent of the general public now have captions switched on all the time at home and a further 26 per cent have them on some of the time. More than one in ten people who don’t have English as their first language also have captions on to help with their understanding of what they are watching.
Stagetext said as the public return to theatres, museums and live venues, data shows that the number of captioned performances won’t keep track with demand.
Nearly half the people surveyed said the number of captioned performances and events was not enough, with 77 per cent saying they are in favour of venues offering more captioned performances.
Almost a quarter felt that it should be a legal requirement for venues to make captions or subtitles available and among those who are not deaf, deafened or hard of hearing, just one in five found the captions distracting.
If more captioning was offered by live venues, a third of the general public would be more likely to increase their attendance at live shows. The number includes people who would be more likely to take friends or relatives who are deaf, deafened or hard of hearing to an event (16 per cent), more likely to go to events themselves (15 per cent) or more likely to arrange a visit for the whole family to a show (14 per cent).
The public indicated they are also more likely to back venues offering captioned performance with almost half describing such a service as valuable and almost a third suggesting these venues deserve more funding from grant giving organisations and the government.
Melanie Shape, CEO of Stagetext, said: “We always knew more people use captions than declared needing them, but we are astounded at the scale of use following lockdown. These figures prove the demand for captions and that for millions of people, they are a lifeline. Every one of us knows someone who has the TV on that little bit too loud and would benefit from turning on the subtitles.
“At a live event you can’t adjust the volume and the stress of not following a plot, muffled dialogue and off-stage distraction can put people off attending amazing performances. Having captions at live events ensures the whole family can enjoy a live performance.”
To find out more about performances with captions, visit: https://www.stagetext.org/caw-get-involved/
