Sign World TV provides accessible TV for people with hearing loss

A company called Sign World TV is preparing to offer "TV over the Internet" that is fully accessible to people with a hearing loss. All programming will be captioned and signed. They are also looking for ideas for programming from deaf and hard-of-hearing people. They will start broadcasting on January 3, 2000, but you can visit their website now.

Here's the Press Release:

November 16, 1999

Contact:  CJ Jones, Founder/CEO

          Sign World TV, Inc. (A Parent Company)

          SIGNWORLDTV@aol.com

          www.signworldtv.com

Los Angeles, CA - Deafness involves the most basic of human needs - the ability to communicate with other human beings.  Sign Language is the third most widely used language in the United States and fourth in the world. There are 28 million Deaf and Hard of Hearing Americans and 70 million Deaf people in 120 countries in the world.

To date producers of multimedia programming as a whole have been less than successful in their efforts to respond to the needs of deaf viewers, UNTIL NOW...

Sign World Television (SWTV) is here!  SWTV is developing programming in a format accessible to ALL audiences.  Incorporating both deaf and hearing talent. You can now view SWTV on the website at http://www.signworldtv.com

SWTV programming is produced in full sound, captions and sign language. SWTV is committed to providing new opportunities for deaf, hard of hearing, and hearing people working together to create and distribute high quality content.

As the internet moves more toward "broadband" (faster access and speed) SWTV has realized that "content is king." For too long the deaf community has been shut out from distributing great product so SignWorldTV.com take their mission with a lot of passion and action.

The company will officially launch on January 3, 2000, with a live daily 15 minute broadcast to expand into addition programming by the end of the second quarter in 2000.