"Captions Capture the Votes" by Lauren Storck

Today's guest writer is Lauren Storck, founder of CCAC (Collaborative for Communication Access via Captioning) and CaptionMatch . Lauren is the driving force behind captions for today's deaf and hard of hearing persons. Elections will soon be here, and because millions of us depend on captioned television and internet videos and news for information, we want to be sure we are included with equal access to language. Please share this information.

“Captions Capture the Votes”

WELCOME CANDIDATES AND VOTERS!

CAPTIONS CAPTURE VOTERS!

WE ask and encourage you to create campaigns for all elections that include quality captioning – for all media, and for live presentations by candidates.

CANDIDATES – do it soon and keep us informed please via email to CapturetheVotes@CCACaptioning.org – copy and paste the email address please — we’ll publish a list thanking all candidates who do this. Get your message out to voters with quality captioning – not only for millions with hearing loss and deafness, but also for so many others with language and other differences. Captions communicate!

VOTERS – begin contacting candidates in your region now. CCAC will soon have a great Flyer (Poster) for distribution, and also a “model” email for you to use or edit as you choose. Stay tuned! This depends on your energies – come on board! CCACaptioning.org - The Place To Be For Captioning Advocacy. Official non-profit membership organization. Email today to participate and share information, ideas, and discussions. Email to CaptiontheVotes@CCACaptioning.org (please copy, paste and add to your contacts).

The campaign here and also CaptionMatch.com invites communications from candidates, the press, and voters, to assist in finding a captioning provider to meet local needs and budgets. Check out the website and learn more. Refer others to it. CaptionMatch is not a captioning company and not selling any service. It is however a service from the non-profit, all volunteer CCAC, to extend raising awareness, education, advocacy, and the CCAC mission – inclusion of quality captioning universally. Info@captionmatch.com

READ and share information in the CCAC Blog and also on a dedicated Facebook page for the campaign where your voices and discussions are invited (not here on the CCAC webpages). https://www.facebook.com/pages/Captions-Capture-the-Votes/610967952314071?ref=hl

SEE RESOURCES listed below on this page – general and specific information for voters and candidates – send us best resources to add.

THERE will also be information and discussion on the public CCAC blog pages, http://ccacblog.wordpress.com/ that also invites guest blog posts.

AND if you are a member of the CCAC or join now, more discussion, ideas, and best of all, shared “actions” among members using the CCAC Members’ Forum online – we use a CCAC Google Group.

CAPTIONING advocacy for elections begin this month – March 2014 – together! There are many elections in 2014, for Congress – Senate and House – and in some states for Governors. These are the focus, though local positions (local legislatures) can be included also, up to your local teams. Your interest and energies invited from all States in the US – and other regions are, as always, welcome to join us, create local campaigns in collaborations with the CCAC for the same theme. 

AS this CCAC campaign develops, we invite State hearing loss and deafness groups, disability organizations, access, educational, and technology groups to collaborate. Send the CCAC your ideas and let’s talk soon. CCAC may have funds to assist in selected limited ways. We are all volunteers.

We are seeking State team leaders especially in 9 States – California, Florida, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Ohio, Texas, and Illinois.

Florida Team Leader is identified -yes!  more info here soon. Other States? Email soon with your interest please.

RESOURCES

Looks like this site may get us to all Candidates by State – check it out, e.g. for California this year, see http://www.politics1.com/ca.htm

http://ballotpedia.org/United_States_Congress_elections,_2014?gclid=CIGe1fKWrb0CFXGWtAoddFMA9A  – about the many elections across the USA in 2014

https://www.census.gov/population/socdemo/statbriefs/agebrief.html  – about older citizens, most in 9 states, open to read more

Here’s one with names of Congressional candidates – read down to find your state: http://www.fec.gov/data/CandidateSummary.do

With very best wishes to all reading, and thanks to Joyce, This blogpost encourages re-posting in newsletters and places that are appropriate by others. Thanks if you do! 

Lauren

Lauren E. Storck, founder and president of the CCAC, a 501 (c)(3) non-profit volunteer membership organization. Join us! http://CCACaptioning.org