Captioning and the "Chip Bill"
Captioning of television and movies changed deaf life. Since 1958, deaf people had gathered in clubrooms or schools to see films, often captioned as a program of the U.S. Department of Education. As closed captioning became more available, deaf people could watch films at home, and catch the evening news along with the rest of society. Clubs were no longer needed as places to share information and enjoy entertainment. Many closed as deaf people chose other ways to stay in touch with friends.