Deaf activists launch campaign against Netflix

Deaf activists launch campaign against Netflix

by: SUSAN WEBB

June 28 2011

Deaf and hard of hearing activists have launched a social media “bombing”
campaign, an online petition and a federal lawsuit to get Netflix to provide
better access to subtitles for its online streaming movies.

Netflix is the nation’s leading provider of streamed television and movies
over the Internet. Online “instant-play” streaming video is quickly becoming
the main way that Americans watch movies and even television shows.

But without subtitles, some 36 million deaf or hearing-impaired Americans
are being left out of this media revolution.

Sebastian St. Troy, a consumer-rights activist in Texas, initiated the
social media “bombing” campaign, urging the public to bombard the company’s
Facebook page with comments telling Netflix to “get on top of” the issue, as
one commenter put it.

“My daughter has a hearing disability,” the commenter wrote, “and captioning
is VITAL to her understanding of programming. This is something Netflix
should be on top of, as a large portion of your audience and potential
audience is hearing-impaired. Please consider making this a priority.”

Another Facebook commenter told Netflix, “Please caption live-stream movies
so we can enjoy what others take for granted.”

St. Troy has also launched an online petition via Change.org, asking Netflix
to make it easier for users to find what is currently available with
subtitles, “as Netflix works towards providing subtitles for all of the
current and future Netflix content.”

St. Troy, who is living with HIV, lost most of his hearing last December,
probably as a result of a non-cancerous brain tumor. Since then, he said,
“I’ve learned how few entertainment options exist for the deaf and
hard-of-hearing.”

“I have always greatly enjoyed movies and have been an avid Netflix
subscriber,” he commented in an email note to this reporter. “As I started
to lose my hearing depression was the largest challenge, along with
frustration, as I could no longer enjoy films.”

“I learned how to use the closed captioning on my DVD player and television,
but my frustrations increased when I could no longer watch films on Netflix
because they didn’t offer captioning on a majority of their streaming
content,” he wrote. “What little content offered by them with subtitles had
limited search options, which caused even greater frustrations.”

Researching the issue, he said he found “years of promises by Netflix to
provide subtitles,” with little progress.

St. Troy previously supported other successful campaigns on Change.org, so
starting an online campaign there was “the obvious choice,” he said. “As a
consumer, and knowing that if enough customers take action when a company
doesn’t provide for the needs of customers, I decided that I wanted to
affect change.”

Clara Long of Change.org says the online campaign is based on today’s
reality that “companies’ reputations (like our reputations) are displayed
and created online.”

“Online activists fill Netflix’s Facebook page with comments pointing out
that they are not taking the deaf and hard of hearing into account and that
affects Netflix’s reputation,” she said. And over 1,200 people have signed
the online petition so far.

Meanwhile, the National Association of the Deaf filed a federal lawsuit
against Netflix on June 16. The lawsuit charges the entertainment giant with
violating the Americans with Disabilities Act by failing to provide closed
captioning for most of its “watch instantly” movies and television streamed
on the Internet.

The New York Times has described Netflix as the “only major player in the
online-only video subscription business,” with over 60 percent of streamed
video services market share, the association noted in announcing the
lawsuit.

“The deaf and hard of hearing community has repeatedly expressed concerns –
via letters, petitions, blogs, and social media – to Netflix about its
failure to provide equal access to ‘Watch Instantly’,” the NAD said.

“We have tried for years to persuade Netflix to do the right thing and
provide equal access to all content across all platforms,” said NAD
President Bobbie Beth Scoggins.

“They chose not to serve our community on an equal basis; we must have equal
access to the biggest provider of streamed entertainment. As Netflix itself
acknowledges, streamed video is the future and we must not be left out.”

The Americans with Disabilities Act requires that all “places of
entertainment” provide “full and equal enjoyment” for people with
disabilities. Arlene Mayerson, an attorney with the Disability Rights
Education and Defense Fund, said, “For people who are deaf and hard of
hearing, captions are like ramps for people who use wheelchairs.”

The plaintiffs are asking the court to declare that Netflix’s behavior
constitutes a violation of Title III of the ADA, and to require that Netflix
provide closed captions on all of its streaming content.

In addition to NAD, other plaintiffs include the Western Massachusetts
Association of the Deaf and Hearing-Impaired and a deaf Massachusetts
resident.

St. Troy said he is optimistic that with the online campaign and the
lawsuit, “Netflix will be forced to do what is right – provide subtitles for
all of their streaming content.”

Source:

http://peoplesworld.org/deaf-activists-launch-campaign-against-netflix/