The author hypothesized that flashing target prepositions and verb inflections would result in greater recall of passages presented on a video screen. Thirty-four prelingually deaf freshmen were shown two passages on a video screen in a crossed-cell experiment. Eighteen students saw target prepositions and verb inflections flashed in capitals in a lesson on Newton but not in a lesson on Roemer. Sixteen students saw target prepositions and verb inflections flashed in capitals in the lesson on Roemer but not in the lesson on Newton. No statistically significant difference was shown between the groups of students nor between the two lessons. Students obtained scores of 97% on the targets when they were flashed in capitals and only 83% when not flashed (p<;0.0005).

Electrical engineers usually write for two classes of readers: other engineers and the general public. Within both of these groups there are disadvantaged readers. Often, fellow engineers are natives of countries where they learned a language other than English as their first language, and who in some cases have not mastered English. A recent issue of The Institute discussed the large number of non-U.S. nationals who are obtaining electrical engineering degrees in the U.S., and how many of them have chosen to remain in the U.S. after obtaining their degrees — especially graduate degrees. Within the general public, there are also people with reading disadvantages. They include prelingually deaf persons and those with learning disabilities sprinkled in the general population and any engineer who writes for general consumer audiences (e.g. consumer electronics or public statements on power plant safety) should be aware of the problems of disadvantaged readers and attempt to accommodate their needs.

The author describes the coding of closed captions for the hearing impaired, which are included in standard television broadcast signals on line 21 of the standard television broadcast signal. Decoders in adaptors or in special television receivers decode these signals and display the captions on television screens.