A bill signed by Gov. Jay Inslee will make Washington the first state to require that businesses display captions on televisions in public places. SB-5027 will require public places like restaurants, sports bars, fitness centers, and hospital waiting rooms to display captions on at least one of its public-area televisions capable of doing so. The…
Read MoreA Sports Video Group (SVG) interview with Doug Karlovits, VITAC’s chief business development officer, talks about how captioned sports have made an impressive return to television – via both traditional TV and streaming services – over the past few months, and VITAC’s recent acquisition by Verbit, which positions the combined company as the No. 1…
Read MoreCommunities around the world celebrated the 10th annual Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) earlier this month (May 20). The day featured discussions, virtual events, and demos designed to encourage everyone to talk, think, and learn about digital access and inclusion for people of all abilities. (Check out a few ideas on how to participate or…
Read MoreVITAC is proud to announce that it has become part of Verbit, the world’s leading interactive transcription and captioning platform. The combination means increased accessibility offerings, enhanced solutions, and greater customer support and service for clients in the legal, media, education, government, and corporate sectors around the world. Read the full press release below. Verbit…
Read MoreWith an eye toward enhancing technology access for people with disabilities, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is seeking comments on whether any updates are needed to the rules of the 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2010 (CVAA). The CVAA was enacted more than a decade ago to help ensure that people with…
Read MoreFor the first time in the 93-year history of the Academy Awards, this year’s Oscars broadcast on ABC featured both closed captioning and audio description for the live nationwide telecast. VITAC once again provided closed captioning for the Oscars event, and we’re proud to have worked with our partner Audio Eyes to provide live audio…
Read MoreA federal appeals court earlier this month ruled that grocery chain Winn-Dixie did not violate the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by having its website inaccessible by screen readers, a decision that reverses the finding of a lower court. In a 2-1 decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit vacated a 2017…
Read MoreLooking for ways to make your classrooms accessible for all learners, but aren’t sure where to start or what questions to ask? VITAC, North America’s largest provider of accessible media services, has a new ebook that offers tips and strategies on creating inclusive learning environments. Our free “Accessibility in Education” ebook, available now for download,…
Read MoreHBO Max is now offering audio description on select titles across its platform. The new feature comes after WarnerMedia (HBO’s parent company) reached an agreement with the American Council of the Blind, the Massachusetts-based Bay State Council of the Blind, and other advocates in October 2020 to increase the accessibility on the popular streaming platform.…
Read MoreEarlier this month, advocates from Telecommunications for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Inc., the National Association of the Deaf, Hearing Loss Association of America, the American Council of the Blind, the American Foundation for the Blind, and Gallaudet University’s Technology Access Program met with Federal Communications Commission (FCC) leaders to discuss the Commission’s priorities…
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