It's the Law!
In 2009, the State of Minnesota passed a law increasing the requirements for state-funded websites and related software and hardware regarding their accessibility to people with disabilities. This includes following existing guidelines such as:
- Section 508 - federal technical standards for accessibility
- Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 - WCAG 2.0 is a product of the Web Accessibility Initiative, a subgroup of the international standards group World Wide Web Consortium, or W3C. Originally set as guidelines, now regarded as a set of technical standards.
- The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
Non-profits, corporations, and other organizations are not exempt from accessibility requirements. The ADA may require captioning or similar accommodations depending on the situation.
Some, but not all states and agencies may mandate captions in certain sitiuations. For example, in Minnesota, all political candidates running for office who receive any form of public funding must caption their web and TV videos. Check with your state's relevant commission or regulatory agency for the rules regarding your area.
For more information on these standards and initiatives, check out the Resources section and Glossary on the left sidebar.