Applies to: A viewer requests a signed programme or compares signed and captioned options.
The useful distinctions
- Sign languages are distinct languages, not one universal form.
- Written captions and sign-language interpretation are different presentation formats.
- A viewer may want either or both without disclosing a medical history.
Describe the format explicitly
A request for accessible text is different from a request for sign-language interpretation. Ask for the format the viewer wants, then specify the relevant language rather than using a generic international-sign assumption. Do not infer that requirement from a household member’s diagnosis or from the country in a profile. The viewer’s stated preference is the useful starting point, and the programme’s actual edition information must supply the availability answer.
Keep combined needs visible
A household can have a reason to want both interpretation and captions, or different members may prefer different formats. Record those choices separately. Confirmation that captions exist does not close a signed-edition enquiry. Likewise, the presence of an interpreter does not establish a particular written caption track. This separation makes support questions answerable without claiming that a single access feature necessarily meets every viewer’s needs.
Hypothetical worked example
For the invented programme Community Forum, a viewer asks specifically for British Sign Language interpretation and separately asks about English sound-inclusive captions. Their note identifies occurrence CF-8 on 8 November 2026. If only a caption label is documented, the interpretation question remains open. They do not substitute an unspecified signed edition or assume an interpreter using a different sign language would meet the same request.
A focused way to proceed
- Name the requested sign language if known.
- Identify the exact programme and whether a signed edition is being requested.
- State any separate caption requirement without assuming the two formats substitute for each other.
When to stop or ask for help
Request confirmation of the named sign language and exact signed edition, keeping any caption enquiry separate.