A history of captions and sign language on screen Captions hit the screen A contract is issued through the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare -- now the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services -- to WGBH-TV in Boston to produce captioned demonstrations. First deaf actress appears on 'Sesame Street' Linda Bove appears as the first deaf actress on "Sesame Street." Her role on the show lasted from 1971 to 2003, making it the longest-running role for a deaf person in television history. The French Chef "The French Chef," hosted by Julia Child and produced by WGBH-TV in Boston, is the first nationally broadcast TV show to be captioned for the deaf and hard-of-hearing audience. Paul Child Julia Child as "The French Chef" First appearance in TV news WGBH-TV produces captions for the first captioned news show, ABC News. Source: Gallaudet, WGBH-TV Love Is Never Silent Hallmark Hall of Fame's "Love Is Never Silent" receives an Emmy nomination for outstanding drama or comedy special. Children of a Lesser God Marlee Matlin wins the Academy Award for best actress for her performance in "Children of a Lesser God." She is the youngest actress to receive an award in that category. Paramount William Hurt and Marlee Matlin in "Children of a Lesser God" Telecommunications Act of 1996 The Telecommunications Act of 1996, which required the Federal Communications Commission to establish captioning rules, is signed into law. This led to 100% captioning for new programs, effective Jan. 1, 2006. Sue Thomas, F.B.Eye "Sue Thomas, F.B.Eye," starring deaf actress Deanne Bray, runs on PAX TV with scenes in both English and ASL. Deanne Bray stars as Sue Thomas, a deaf FBI investigator who puts her lip-reading skills to work with the help of her hearing dog, Levi. Signing Time The educational show "Signing Time" premieres on public television. Source: various online sites and IMDB Switched at Birth "Switched at Birth" runs an all-ASL episode, the first time this is done on a mainstream, scripted television series. Source: ABC Family Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times Lizzy Weiss, creator of ABC's Family's "Switched at Birth