Arkansas News Bureau

LITTLE ROCK — U.S. Sen. Mark Pryor, D-Ark., said today he plans to introduce a bill that would improve access to the Internet and other technology for the deaf and the blind.

The bill would require that television programming be closed captioned and video described when posted on the Internet.

“Right now there is not a requirement for closed captioning on the Internet, although when a program is broadcast over the air or on cable there is a requirement,” Pryor said. “We’re seeing more and more programming go to the Internet, and it would seem to me it’s very sensible that that closed captioning should follow the programming onto the Internet.”

Among other things, the bill also would require that smartphones be hearing-aid compatible and require that video programming devices such as DVRs be capable of closed captioning, video description and emergency alerts.

Pryor discussed the bill at a news conference attended by students and teachers from the Arkansas School for the Deaf and the Arkansas School for the Blind in Little Rock. He said he would file the bill Tuesday.