Last week the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a previous ruling, stating that song lyrics contributed to the general atmosphere of the games, therefore all people, including those who are Deaf or hearing impaired, must be able to access them.
Although one of the judges disagreed with the ruling, the Baltimore Sun reports the majority ruled that the Redskins would be in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act by not showing captions for song lyrics.
The National Association of the Deaf, which was behind the case, is pleased about the outcome, expecting this will set a precedent for sports events around the country. Bobbie Beth Scoggins, NAD President, said, “This case is a tremendous victory for deaf and hard of hearing fans – not only Redskins fans, but all sports fans who want to fully enjoy the same game-day experience as their hearing counterparts.”
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