‘Deaf people, including photographers, have been excluded for too long’ – Cardiff-based photographer Dafydd Everleigh

Cardiff-based Dafydd Everleigh, an amateur landscape shooter, contacted PhotoTraining4U.com founder Mark Cleghorn when he noticed the site’s training videos had no subtitles.

Mr Everleigh said: “I was extremely upset and annoyed about it. Deaf people have been excluded from society for too long. I accept that even eighteen months ago subtitles on flash based movies were both expensive and very difficult to do - but technology has moved on and now providing subtitles is relatively cheap. There is just no excuse not to subtitle online videos – in fact it could be financially rewarding for training organisations as a whole new audience will be able to access the services. For example, the Facebook group, ‘Deaf Photographers’ – alone boasts over 1300 members.
There is no specific requirement to subtitle web-based movies but the Disability Discrimination Act which states that services must be reasonably adjusted and be made accessible.”

He added: “I contacted Mark Cleghorn about this and although it has taken some time, I am delighted that he is now providing subtitles on all his training videos.
His PhotoTraining4U site is a terrific idea because it allows people to learn what they want, when they want and where they want. There is far more flexibility compared to the conventional training approaches, like college tuition - and it doesn’t matter if you are ill.
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PhotoTraining4U founder, Mark Cleghorn said: “Dafydd contacted us directly and he was rightly very upset that we had no subtitles on our training videos.
We were actually working on the challenge at that time but it took us a while to put it into effect.
Dafydd’s comments are all valid and his complaint stirred us into accelerating our pioneering subtitle programme. Now all new videos have subtitles options and within weeks our entire back catalogue will also have this facility.”