Captions are an essential accessibility accommodation for people who are deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing. Captions also provide access to information in noisy rooms or when speech is fast, help children learning to read and others building their English language skills, and allow people to understand content when the sound is off.

Minnesota Statues on Human Rights (section 363A.11, subdivision 2), says that public places can't discriminate against people with disabilities. In 2023, the statute was updated to cover captions on TVs in public places. It says that when TV services are provided to people, not turning on closed captions for deaf or hard of hearing people is discrimination.

This change in the law was effective on August 1, 2024.

What are public places?

Public places can include gyms, hospitals, restaurants and bars, schools, clinics, courthouses, social service provider offices and more.

What can you do if captions are not on?

• If captions are not on in a public place, you can ask staff to turn on closed captioning.
• If they don’t know how to turn captions on, you can offer to help if you know how. You can also ask them to find someone who can help or search the internet for "how to turn on captions on [brand name] tv." 

What can you do if the business refuses to turn on captions?

• This law is still new, and some businesses may not be aware of it. You may need to tell the staff "Minnesota state law says that TV captions are a required accessibility accommodation."
• If the business refuses to turn on captioning despite requests, you may file a complaint with the Minnesota Department of Human Rights.
• You can also reach out to State Services for support with advocacy and education.

For more support with caption advocacy and education, please contact us.