(22 July 2006 2:00 pm)

MUMBAI: US internet service provider AOL is testing closed captions for streaming news content from CNN that will enhance the online media experience for people who are deaf or hard of hearing.

Captioned CNN video content will be available throughout the AOL network, including the AOL service, the free AOL.com Web portal and the AOL Video portal.

AOL says that it is the first consumer Internet service to provide captioned online videos, has offered closed captioning since 2003 for select content on its KOL service for kids aged 6 to 12, including Princess Natasha the original cartoon series created exclusively for KOL. AOL also offered synchronized text transcripts for CNN news updates that were limited to the text of a news anchor's script.

Now, content from CNN, including videos for the day's headlines, current events, new stories, entertainment and more, will be manually captioned to ensure all of the audio in a video stream is completely accessible. AOL plans to provide closed captioning for additional video content over the coming months.

AOL has been working on this initiative with WGBH's Media Access Group, the organisation behind the development of technologies and services that make all forms of media accessible to the 36 million Americans who rely on captioning or video descriptions. This work was also supported by a grant to WGBH from NEC Foundation of America, which supports programmes with national reach and impact in assistive technology for people with disabilities.

AOL says that its captioning initiative is an extension of AOL's Accessibility Policy, a company wide priority that aims to address and meet the technology needs of people with disabilities.

AOL adds thast closed captions for streaming videos builds upon its leadership position as one of the best online destinations for video. AOL delivers an array of products and services that together provide a complete video experience, including compelling video programming, best-in-class video search and a high-quality video playback experience for all Internet consumers.