For a considerable amount of time, the National Hockey League and its affiliates have promoted inclusivity in one way or another. As a result, they have been able to attract the interest of social groups that they would not have otherwise been able to. It appears from the announcement that Hockey Night in Canada made recently that the league and, more significantly, one of its broadcast partners are eager to introduce the sport to a further historically underrepresented demographic.
Ahead of the Cup Final on Wednesday, HNIC announced that viewers who are deaf or hard of hearing who often need closed captioning to appreciate any broadcast they are interested in tuning into would be able to access their program in American Sign Language, or ASL.
Out of the four major sports in North America, the Stanley Cup final is the first to offer ASL as a choice. Following TNT's coverage of the U.S. Women's Deaf National Soccer Team's match versus Australia last weekend, the final will be televised soon.
For the deaf community and the disabled population at large, this is great news since it indicates that major networks are making every effort to start making their content more viewer-accessible. Breaking down obstacles for the deaf community is a positive move since it demonstrates the network's commitment to ensuring that everyone can enjoy the game.
