From Frustration to Freedom: What Captions Really Mean

For many people, captions are a small thing at the bottom of a screen. But for Deaf and hard of hearing audiences, they mean everything.

Imagine watching a play but missing every punchline. Imagine attending a talk and never catching the key point. That’s what many Deaf and hard of hearing people experienced — until captions entered the stage.

Since 2000, StageTEXT has transformed access to theatre, festivals, talks, and live events across the UK. What started with one captioned performance — The Duchess of Malfi — has grown into more than 1,000 captioned and subtitled events each year. That’s three accessible events every single day!

With StageTEXT’s work, captions brought inclusion to life. They didn’t just display words; they restored confidence, connection, and equality.

Now, audiences can laugh, cry, and engage alongside everyone else, because access should never be an afterthought.

You might be surprised how many people rely on them, every single day:

🎧 85% of videos on social media are watched with the sound off. So if you’ve ever watched in silence — congrats, you’re part of caption culture!

🎬 Captions aren’t just for Deaf audiences: they help everyone focus, learn languages, and catch quiet dialogue.

🧠 Reading captions activates the same brain areas used for listening. So yes — you’re technically training your brain when watching with subtitles.

🌍 Subtitles make global content accessible. Ever watched Money Heist, Squid Game, or Dark? Thank the caption team! Did you know that closed captions (CC) and subtitles are not the same? Learn here the difference.

💬 Captions can make public events accessible — not just films. Think theatre, festivals, museums, lectures, even city tours!

Join Captioning Awareness Week from 10–16 November by attending a captioned or subtitled event near you: stagetext.org/whats-on 

And don’t miss the subtitled digital premiere of The Estate – Subtitled Premiere on National Theatre at Home, live-streamed on 12 November at 7pm.

How to watch: https://www.stagetext.org/subtitled-premiere-on-national-theatre-at-home/

Thinking of making your events more inclusive?

💡 Add captions or subtitles to your talks, plays, or screenings.

🎧 Check the acoustics and lighting — they affect hearing aid users too.

💬 Book Deaf Awareness Training to understand Deaf audiences better and learn simple, powerful ways to improve access.

Because true inclusion isn’t complicated — it’s intentional.