Deaf want a fair hearing on film and TV subtitles-

The quality of life of deaf people would dramatically improve if subtitles were introduced on TV and in cinemas, according to campaigners. “Think how much general knowledge you get from the TV,” said Alison Vere from the Deaf People Association, which is behind the Subtitles Now campaign launched recently. “With the exception of the five-minute Deaf News in Maltese sign language, local TV is inaccessible to deaf and those hard of hearing,” she added. Organised jointly with film culture NGO Kinemastik, Subtitles Now is promoting the introduction of sub-titles on TV and more screenings of subtitled movies in cinemas. The campaign released a video on Youtube to drive home its message ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5D_y2G5els ). It starts with sound and sub­titles so that all people can understand what is happening, but then the captions disappear and all the dialogue is conducted in sign language. Eventually the sound of Bob Dylan singing the words “How does it feel?” from Like a Rolling Stone can be heard and a caption asks, “How does it feel to see but not hear?” Ms Vere said deafness was an invisible disability because it went unseen unless people were communicating in sign...