Turn On Captions
Making Public Spaces Accessible in Los Angeles County
Campaign Overview
The County of Los Angeles is encouraging businesses and public facilities to turn on closed captioning on televisions that are visible to the public.
Closed captions (CC) display spoken words and important sounds as text on the screen.
Captions help people who are D/deaf or hard of hearing understand television programming. They also help many others, including English language learners, older adults, and people watching television in noisy environments.
More than 800,000 people in the Greater Los Angeles region have some level of hearing loss. Many others benefit from captions every day.
Most televisions already have captioning built in. Turning captions on usually takes only a few steps.
By activating captions, businesses and public facilities can help create more accessible and welcoming spaces for everyone.
Campaign Goals
This campaign aims to:
Increase awareness about the importance of closed captioning in public spaces
Encourage businesses and public facilities to activate captions on televisions visible to the public
Improve access to information for people who are D/deaf or hard of hearing
Support inclusive environments for English language learners and people in busy or noisy settings
Provide simple guidance to help businesses activate captions easily
Who This Applies To
The campaign focuses on businesses and public facilities located in unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County, including:
Restaurants and bars
Gyms and fitness centers
Waiting rooms and reception areas
Medical offices and clinics
Community centers and senior centers
Government buildings open to the public
If a television can be seen by customers or visitors, turning captions on can help more people follow what is being said.
Why Captions Matter
Closed captions help many people understand television programming.
Captions benefit:
People who are D/deaf or hard of hearing
English language learners
Older adults
People watching television in noisy environments
Anyone who benefits from reading along with spoken content
Turning captions on helps make public spaces more accessible.
Top Facts
Many people benefit from captions.
More than 800,000 people in the Greater Los Angeles region have some level of hearing loss.
Captions improve understanding.
Research shows captions can help people follow conversations and remember information.
Most televisions already support captions.
Since 1993, televisions sold in the United States have included captioning capability.
Turning captions on is simple.
In many cases, captions can be activated using the television remote or settings menu.
Good to Know for Businesses
Turning captions on is simple and usually takes less than a minute.
Most televisions already have closed captioning built in. In many cases, captions can be activated using the remote control or the settings menu.
Activating captions does not require new equipment and does not change the programming being shown. It simply displays the spoken words on the screen so more people can follow what is being said.
Turning captions on is a small step that can make a big difference for accessibility in public spaces.
How to Turn Captions On
Most televisions allow captions to be activated through the settings menu or remote control.
Steps may vary depending on the television brand, but typically include:
1) Home or Menu button on your remote.
2) Select Settings (often a gear icon).
3) Go to Accessibility, General, or System.
4) Select Closed Captioning or Subtitles and toggle it On.
Find specific instructions for some popular TV brands by clicking your TV’s name.
Share Your Feedback or Questions
We welcome feedback from businesses, community organizations, and members of the public.
If you operate a business or public facility in an unincorporated area of Los Angeles County and have questions about activating captions, please share your feedback.
Community members may also express interest in sharing how closed captioning has helped them access television in public spaces.
Spread the Word on Social Media
Help make public spaces more accessible for everyone.
If your business, organization, or public facility has turned on closed captioning on televisions visible to the public, let your community know. Share your commitment to accessibility and encourage others to do the same.
Use #TurnOnCaptions and tag @LACountyAD/ @LACounty4AD and @EconOppLA so we can help share and celebrate your commitment.
Aging & Disabilities Department (AD) Handles:
• Facebook & Instagram: @LACounty4AD
• X (Twitter), BlueSky, & LinkedIn: @LACountyAD
Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) Handles:
• Facebook , Instagram & X (Twitter): @EconOppLA
Use Relevant Hashtags
#TurnOnCaptions
#TurnOnCaptionsLA
#Accessibility
#Inclusion
#DisabilityInclusion
#DeafAwareness
#LACountyAD
#EconOppLA
Join Us
Are you a business, organization, or public facility in unincorporated Los Angeles County?
Join the Turn On Captions campaign by:
– Turning on closed captioning on televisions visible to the public
– Sharing the campaign with your employees, customers, or community
– Posting about your commitment to accessibility on social media
– Tagging @LACountyAD and @EconOppLA
– Using #TurnOnCaptions or#TurnOnCaptionsLA
– Together, we can make public spaces more accessible for everyone.
Sample Social Posts
Post 1:
We turned on captions! 📺
Our business is committed [I am committed] to helping make our space more accessible and welcoming for everyone. Closed captions can help people who are D/deaf or hard of hearing, English language learners, and others follow what is happening on TV.
We are proud to join @CountyofLA, @LACountyAD, and @EconOppLA and support the #TurnOnCaptions campaign.
#Accessibility #Inclusion #DisabilityInclusion
Post 2:
Accessibility can start with a simple step.
We have turned on closed captioning on our publicly visible TVs to help make our space more welcoming and accessible. 📺
Join us and #TurnOnCaptions.
Tag @CountyofLA, @LACountyAD and @EconOppLA to share your commitment.
#Accessibility #Inclusion #DisabilityInclusion #DeafAwareness
Social Media Assets
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