Captioned performances aimed at making theatre accessible for people with hearing loss are on the increase across England as ten theatres prepare to offer Stagetext open captioning for the first time.
The Almeida, the Royal National Theatre, the Lighthouse (Poole) and the Stephen Joseph Theatre are among those theatres that will present their first captioned performances during 2003, which is designated the European Year of Disabled People. Stagetext works with theatres to deliver performances in which a trained captioner converts the spoken word into visible text (pictured), which is displayed on a unit installed on or near the stage. The company was established in 2000 by three people with different degrees of hearing loss, who were keen to access theatre.
w: http://www.stagetext.co.uk