Charlotte Hyde: On subtitles and people saying ‘you aren’t a good listener’

“If you watch films with subtitles, you probably aren’t a good listener”

I think every deaf person has been told that they aren’t listening “hard enough” by someone in their life. Usually at a time when we have really struggled to access a conversation.

There’s been a recent rise in tweets saying “if you watch films with subtitles, you probably aren’t a good listener” by hearing people. Tweets which have sparked anger amongst deaf and disabled communities. 

You only have to look back a few months at the issues with Channel 4 to know that subtitles are a lifeline to so many people. They enable us to access videos, shows and films with audio content. Without subtitles, most media wouldn’t be accessible to me. 

The tweets aren’t just ignorant – they feed into my fear of asking someone to put the subtitles on.

Asking this question can be so difficult sometimes. What about if the person I asked said no? If they judged me as a “bad listener”, despite my deafness?

I remember once being absolutely terrified to ask one of my teachers to switch them on in class. My friends had told me they overheard her saying that she hates subtitles. Luckily, she obliged and switched them on. My anxiety about asking again in the future didn’t fade in the slightest. 

Hearing people often say “what about the Equality Act? Isn’t it law that people have to make things accessible to you?” Yes, it is. Does that mean that they always do so? No, not always.

Look at how many subtitled cinema showings there are. Think about how many times you’ve seen content online without subtitles. Does the deaf student in your class have to ask for the subtitles to be turned on, or is that done automatically? How often is your lecturer wearing a mic? Have you been to an event with a BSL interpreter? 

There are legitimate reasons why some hearing people cannot watch content with subtitles. Usually it’s down to a disability, in which case it’s a conflicting access need and can be worked around.

It truly isn’t other disabled people I’m addressing here: it’s the ignorance of seeing people who need subtitles as something to be laughed at, or judged.

It may seem like it isn’t a big deal, but it’s indicative of the narrative surrounding subtitle use. How are deaf rights going to advance in society if something so simple is seen as such a huge inconvenience? Or something that makes us lesser for being reliant upon? 

Disabled Twitter has rightfully called these tweets out as ableist. For deaf campaigners, the grind continues.

There is something deeply upsetting about having to constantly fight against ignorant attitudes and beliefs in society. With Rose winning Strictly, and the BSL Bill passing its second reading: this isn’t the start to 2022 that I’d hoped for. I’m tired.