This paper describes a standard cross-platform strategy for providing deaf individuals with access to sounds generated by electronic information systems. The strategy is based on a "ShowSounds" switch built into the basic system architecture. Turning the switch "on" would signal that all information presented auditorially is also to be presented visually. This would apply to both information presented by the operating system and by individual application programs. Information is provided on the background of the ShowSounds innovation, the types of auditory information, use of redundant auditory information as an access strategy, the ShowSounds approach to visual annotation of important auditory information, types of video annotation, applications of ShowSounds, the ShowSounds implementation schedule, and progress to date. The importance of making both computer and information systems vendors aware of the need for such a capability and to build it into the next generation systems is stressed. (DB)