If you ask for open captions, then ask again, what happens when you need captions a third time?

The captions are there waiting for you already — and you don’t have to ask.

When Kirsten and John Robbins attended a City of Renton outdoor FIFA soccer match viewing, the volume was turned off due to copyright concerns. They thought it was odd, so they asked if captions could be turned on so everyone could follow the action. The event organizers turned the captions on, much to the happiness of not just the Robbinses, but the rest of the audience, too.

Night two: Same scenario. Captions requested. Captions turned on.

Night three: Lessons learned. Captions had been automatically turned on when they Kirsten and John arrived. Persistence WORKS.

Requesting hearing access for yourself is always, always gently educating others about what millions of people with hearing loss need in order to be included. When you ask, you’re helping yourself and others you may never meet, and you’re planting seeds, too.

Thank you to Kirsten Robbins for her information and the use of her photo!