c2 (caption coalition) inc is the pioneer of Live Performance Captioning ^(sm) for Hard of Hearing and Deaf patrons at live theatrical and cultural events, and is internationally recognized as the leading authority in the field. c2 continues its mission to expand services throughout the United States, and is partnered with an impressive roster of prestigious venues now offering this vital access program.

Open Captioning is a general term used to describe text displayed simultaneous to live speech, dialogue or performance.  Also referred to as “OC,” it is derived from its analogue, closed captioning, which  began as text-based access to broadcast programs. The term “caption” is used to define text associated with a picture. The signal was “closed” because it required special equipment for viewing. By contrast, open captions do not require the user to have any special equipment for viewing the text and are always “open” to anyone. The terms have crossed over to non-broadcast venues whereby “open captioned” translates to mean open for all to view and “closed captioned” to require the viewer to use specific equipment

Captioning is intended to be an alternate form of accessibility for the estimated population of 30 million hard of hearing and deaf in the United States,and specifically the 98% who do not use American Sign Language. c2 subscribes to the model of “universal design” and the “passive assistance” of OC so patrons may enjoy captioning discretely, as part of the general audience at large, without being singled out and needing “distinguishing” equipment. Open captions have the additional benefit of enhancing the enjoyment of audience members who have either not self-identified their hearing loss or merely wish to catch a missed word or phrase.

c2 was founded in 2002 by David Chu and Donald DePew as a 501(c)(3) non-profit company. Live Performance Captioning ^(sm) is c2’s methodology that combines technology and performance technique and is the standard model for a live theatrical environment.