Article on accessible Catholic Mass for the deaf and hard of hearing, plus a comment from me

CLOSED CAPTIONING DURING TV MASS BETTER SERVES FAITHFUL

The Sunday TV Mass on WFFT-TV and WNDU-TV has been offering closed captioning (CC) since Feb. 1 in Fort Wayne and March 15 in South Bend.

All televisions are equipped with the CC feature noted Fort Wayne TV Mass co-producer Beth Machall-Dwyer. “The viewer uses the ‘CC’ button on the TV remote or by checking the settings for ‘Closed Captioning’ in the menus on their TV or converter box,” Machall-Dwyer said.

Via a telephone connection, a professional captioning service accesses the audio going to the WFFT or WNDU transmitter. A transcriber — a real human being — listens to the Mass and transcribes what is heard and types out the captions live.

Sister Agnes Marie Regan, a Sister of St. Francis of Perpetual Adoration who produces the TV Mass on WNDU and who serves as the hostess, told Today’s Catholic that many viewers asked for the closed captioning for the TV Mass.

“Over the years, we’ve been frequently asked about the possibility of ‘closed captioning’ as many of our viewing congregration have age-related hearing difficulties,” Sister Agnes Marie noted. “What a gift this will be for them now to have the ability to follow along with the Scripture readings and Mass prayers right along with us. What a beautiful gift of making inclusion in our Sunday TV Mass liturgies more complete.”

Machall-Dwyer added, “Many of our viewers are elderly, homebound Catholics that are unable to attend Mass at their parish. This is an important ministry that enables them to attend Mass without leaving their homes. The same holds true for others that are not mobile, such as the hospitalized.”

The closed captioning is sponsored by D.O. McComb and Sons on WFFT-TV and by Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center on WNDU-TV.

“Our hope is that this also touches those that are not Catholic or have fallen away from the Church,” she added. “There are other national/international televised Masses available. What is unique about ours is that it is local. Local, familiar priests celebrate. I have to believe that our Catholic viewers enjoy seeing priests that they know.”

The TV Mass accepts donations to pay for broadcasting costs. Contact Tina in the Office of Communications at 260-744-0012 for information.

Above information taken from:  http://www.todayscatholicnews.org/2015/03/closed-captioning-during-tv-mass-better-serves-faithful/

My Comment on the article:  

This is very nice.   It is a wonderful service.

However, the 1 in 5 Americans who have a hearing loss are not necessarily elderly or home bound. 

 While hearing loss does increase with age, there is plenty who are not elderly and can also benefit from CC.  1 in 3 Americans over age 65 have a hearing loss and these are not necessarily homebound either just because they are elderly!  There are lots of active elderly folks who have a hearing loss.  

Churches need to provide CC at their services too so we can go in person to hear the Mass.   On top of this, 90 percent or more of those who have a hearing loss do NOT attend services because it is NOT accessible.  

If you want to touch those who are not Catholic or have fallen away from the church who have a hearing loss, you need to be able to at least let them hear the message at the service as well because many are mobile.  Don’t expect them to just sit there and be unable to participate or follow along when you dont include them by making it accessible. Don't expect them to do this week after week, year after year.   Most will not tolerate that non inclusive, unwelcoming and frankly very rude approach of not making it accessible, especially if you tell them to go to Mass and yet not make it accessible to them,  or invite them back and then not make it accessible.  That doesn't work very well in today's world in which ADA mandates take place for accessibility.

Technology today is available to make the Mass accessible to those with  hearing loss.  Its affordable any more then the expensive organ or sound system a church has so people can enjoy it and participate more.  If many have not been to church in a long time they are not being evangelized at the Mass because they can't hear it. That means your homily too, prayers of the faithful, announcements, blessings and more. All these things are community based participation and you deny them that if you don't make it accessible to them.  You reach the fallen away when they hear the message and can participate and connect.  Evangelization happens with connection.

Remember too that other parts of church life are often not accessible to them so the Mass should at least be accessible.  I know churches provide music CD's (not accessible) online faith formation (but the company failed to provide CC to all its programs so that is not accessible too).  Bible study groups are often not accessible and some of them are using video's and DVDs that don't have CC on them. Confessional booths may or may not be accessible in which they may have to make special appointments for and not spontaneous show ups because of the way it is often set up. Privacy is not considered (no slit  in grill to pass back and forth paper and pen is common in some churches  so its usually face to face and not a grill for those with hearing loss -no options provided is common).

The church is not really hearing loss friendly or accessible in many ways.The Mass at least should be.  If there is one thing to pick on, its making the Mass more accessible to them.

None the less, this is a beautiful inclusive idea to let the homebound deaf and hard of hearing folks to have access to the Mass, at least on TV.  I would just like to see the church also provide CC at their services too.  Its called CART, voice writer, automation captioning, Typewell and other text based services. Even a powerpoint with the homily script done ahead of time and songs and community prayers on powerpoint with someone using a teacher stick to guide them along is a step in the right direction.

Don’t exclude these people from participating at Mass, so they can be able to follow along and know what is going on.  Its very evangelizing too to hear the message.   Its the right thing to do to share the joy of the gospel message.  

Meanwhile until the churches start providing CC at their services, attending Mass via TV with CC is a very evangelizing service for even the mobile faithful and those curious about the Catholic faith and the fallen away.I encourage that!

One creative way is to go to Mass twice, one via TV with CC and the other at a non accessible Catholic church to receive Communion.  Save your donation for the TV Mass funding though, and none to minimal basket donation to any church that is not accessible for those with hearing loss.  Maybe they will get the message that way and make it more accessible for those with  hearing loss by providing CC for their services.  Then we can donate if they make it accessible to the 'disabled'. ADA is the law in the secular world but not in churches. Churches are exempt from ADA laws. But shouldn't it be accessible any ways so the gospel message can be shared?