An increasing number of educational videotapes, as well as television broadcasts, are being "closed captioned" for deaf and hard of hearing viewers. Closed captions are similar to subtitles in foreign language films; captions appear at the bottom of the screen so the viewer may follow narration and dialogue. A closed captioning decoder is needed to display the usually hidden captions. Television monitors manfactured after July, 1993, have built-in decoders that can be activated through the remote control. Most buildings now have CC-equipped monitors. Decoders can be borrowed from Media Services with advance notice. Lecture halls using overhead video projectors are being retro-fitted with CC decoders.

Instructors should consider always using open-captions when showing videos with this support. Research indicates that many students benefit from seeing the text because it serves as an aid to memory. This is especially helpful for students who rely most heavily on their vision for learning, and students who have learning disabilities.

Instructors can determine whether or not videos are captioned by asking Media Services staff or by looking at the video container, which usually contains a short statements about captioning or carries the initials "CC" or a Q-like symbol.

A small percentage of videos in Messiah College's holdings is captioned. In an effort to increase the number of captioned videos, Disability Services is seeking outside funding to pay for captioning to be added to high-use videos.

In some situations, a sign language interpreter may be able to interpret the video, as is done during lectures or recitations. To prepare, the interpreter might request from the instructor the opportunity to view the video in advance.