CBC's The Current launches pilot project for deaf, hearing-impaired audiences

CBC Radio and current affairs show The Current are starting a pilot project to help improve the accessibility of public radio for an estimated 1.3 million Canadians who are deaf or hearing impaired.

Beginning Monday, CBC will post text transcripts of the show Canada's No. 1 radio interview program online daily for audiences to read, print and share.

A wide variety oflisteners, frompost-secondary students and professors tonew citizens learning English to engaged listeners, regularly contact The Current to request program transcripts.

The public broadcasteralso pledges tofilm one American Sign Language (ASL)-interpreted radio documentary from the The Current and post it online each month.

• THE CURRENT |Transcripts, ASL videos available online for deaf and hard of hearing audience

The project is possible through thehelp of a grant from the Broadcasting Accessibility Fund.

"This is a first for CBC Radio and unique in Canadian media," Heather Conway, CBC's executive vice president ofEnglish Services, said in a statement.

"By forging a deeper connection between traditional radio and the digital sphere, CBC is leading the way in providing all Canadians with unprecedented ways to access vital, distinctly Canadian radio conversations."

With theASL-interpretedradio docs such as Willow Yamauchi's Deaf Jamaspresented by Toronto ASL-English interpreterKathy Munro, posted in the videoaboveCBC aimsto engage deaf audiences in both an exciting new way as well as ina preferred language.

"At The Current, we strive to bring our audience stories that encourage them to think about our world and our society in ways they might not have considered," added host and veteran journalistAnna Maria Tremonti.

"This project will give people who are deaf or hard of hearing and the hearing impaired an opportunity to join us in that process and to be part of a larger conversation about what is happening around us."