Captions Open Window on Culture, Learning

By Steven Drummond

Washington

This month on Jerry Springer: "Stripper Wars," "I Have a Bizarre Sex Life," and "You Can't Have My Man."

Such lurid topics long ago lost their ability to raise the eyebrows of most people familiar with daytime television. But for viewers watching in a bar or health club, with the sound turned off and the dialogue scrolling across the bottom of the screen, the real shocker may come at the end of the program: "Captioning made possible by the U.S. Department of Education ... "

Yes, it's true. A little-known program in the department's office of special education and rehabilitative services offers funds for the captioning of movies, videos, and television programs that provide "enriched educational and cultural experiences." That includes the nightly news, Hollywood films, children's programs, and such popular daytime fare as "All My Children" and...