Captioning of non-speech information in children’s programming on Pbskids.Org

This study examines how captioners for current children’s shows from PBS Kids in the United States caption non-speech information (NSI). While NSI captioning is a critical component in making soundscapes accessible for the Deaf or hard of hearing, the area is understudied. We asked four research questions to better understand how NSI is used children’s programming. RQ1 questions the prevalence of NSI captions. RQ2 asks if the NSI captions follow best practices. RQ3 queries whether NSI captions are consistent within each episode. RQ4 questions whether non-standard NSI captioning techniques were used. We downloaded the episode caption files from the most recent episode of 12 programs from the online PBS Kids website and exported them into a spreadsheet for coding. We developed our coding strategy using the Described and Captioned Media Program’s Captioning Key. We coded captions by comparing the captions to the video content, including background sounds, music, and dialogue. We found Speaker ID the most used NSI and silence rarely if ever captioned. Drawing on the Described and Captioned Media Program’s Captioning Key for best practices, we found varying levels of compliance, but that NSI captions were consistent within a show. None of the shows used experimental captioning practices. The variations in NSI captioning argue for standardized captioning practices, and our findings may help create a benchmark for future studies.