Across the board, Maximum Fun podcasts do not provide transcripts with their shows. Without transcripts, whole populations (including deaf and hard-of-hearing folks, neurodivergent people, people with auditory processing disorders and more) cannot access audio mediums like podcasts.
Jesse Thorn, owner of Max Fun, has said that part of the reason for this is a lack of demand, and that he thinks deaf and hard-of-hearing people won't find the humor in many of the podcasts by reading them. Not only is this incorrect, it puts the responsibility of accessibility onto disabled people. It also ignores the fact that for many, reading is the only way to access certain media like podcasts.
It is imperative that content creators build accessibility into their products from the start. Otherwise, they are sending the message that their work is for able-bodied people only. Jesse Thorn stated that he was willing to revisit his decision not to provide transcripts in the future. So it's very important that Max Fun fans let him know: we care about accessibility! We want to be able to share the shows we love with disabled friends and family. We want transcripts!
Sign to show the folks at Max Fun that a truly accessible, inclusive network is something we care about!
