On January 26, 2026, I sent an email to Bryan Crawford of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) regarding concerns and suggestions related to captioning at OHL venues. Following my correspondence, I received a response from Mr. Crawford addressing the matters raised in my initial message.

Mr. Crawford’s reply has been included below for reference. He demonstrates the OHL’s willingness to move forward with  accessibility improvements and provides hope that captioning will be implemented at OHL venues in the near future.

I remain committed to continuing the dialogue with the Ontario Hockey League and will share any updates as they become available. The ongoing support from friends and family, as well as the circulation of the petition, is greatly appreciated.

Sincerely,

Laurie

"Dear Ms. Chappell,

Thank you for your follow-up email and for your continued advocacy around accessibility and inclusion for fans who are deaf or deafened. I appreciate both your patience and your commitment to this important issue. 

As part of our initial progress, video content supplied by the OHL to member teams—such as our public service announcements like our Fan Code of Conduct and MADD messaging—now includes closed captioning, and should be making their way into video board rotation across the league if it hasn’t already.  This represents an important first step in ensuring that standardized league-produced content is accessible to all fans, regardless of the venue in which it is displayed. 

Looking ahead, it is our intention that any new league-produced promotional and informational video content, rolled out in the second half of this season or next season, will have closed captioning built in as a standard feature.  In parallel, our team has been working with potential service providers to evaluate options for expanding captioning to additional video assets, including exploring the feasibility of more complex content such as live or near-live presentations, where technical, operational, cost and venue-specific considerations are more significant. 

While accessibility remains a priority for the league, as I previously communicated with you, implementation across all events and facilities requires coordination with independently operated clubs and municipally owned arenas, many of which have differing technical capabilities. Our objective is to ensure that any solutions we adopt are reliable, scalable, and sustainable, rather than inconsistent or dependent on venue-by-venue workarounds.

We appreciate the information you have shared regarding the Canadian Hearing Society and will take the opportunity to connect with CHS as we continue to evaluate best practices and implementation models. 

I also acknowledge your frustration with the pace of progress. Although change may not yet be visible at every club or event, meaningful steps are being taken, and this work remains ongoing.  We are committed to continuing to move forward in a thoughtful and responsible manner to enhance accessibility for all OHL fans.

Thank you again for reaching out and for your continued engagement on this matter.

Bryan Crawford
Commissioner
Ontario Hockey League
Office:    1 (416) 299 8700 
Email:     bcrawford@chl.ca
305 Milner Avenue, Suite 200
Scarborough, ON, M1B 3V4
www.ontariohockeyleague.ca"