Did you not understand press conferences, live news programs, or any programs about the coronavirus (COVID-19) because the captions were not clear or there were no captions? You should send a letter to ask them to fix the captions. The NAD has a letter that you can use to copy and change before you send it.
[INSERT DATE]
Dear [INSERT NAME OF TV STATION or NAME OF SOCIAL MEDIA PAGE ADMINISTRATOR],
I watched your live announcement on [INSERT DATE and TIME] about the coronavirus (COVID-19). I had a hard time understanding because the captioning was unclear or there was no captioning. Deaf and hard of hearing people who depend on captions must get this important information at the same time as anyone else. If you fail to make this information available through clear and accurate captions, that means deaf and hard of hearing people are not getting the same important information about health and safety.
For information about best ways to provide access, please review the National Association of the Deaf’s website about accessible emergency management.I ask that you provide good quality captioning for ALL news and announcements about the coronavirus. That means captions should be seen clearly in the picture without blocking any signing if included. This is the right thing to do and is also required by federal law, the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. If you’re not sure what to do, please contact the local [INSERT Office of Deaf and Hard of Hearing or Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing], [INSERT State Association for the Deaf website], or [INSERT name of interpreting agency you trust].
Like everyone else, I am worried about the coronavirus. Please include captions in any video updates about the coronavirus.
Thank you,
[INSERT YOUR NAME]
[INSERT CITY, STATE]