Miss-Delectable
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Deaf and hearing impaired have to wait for captioned movies - Opinion - The Olympian - Olympia, Washington
Much to my surprise, I’ve found myself looking forward to seeing the newest “Harry Potter” movie.
My wife and kids have eaten up all the books and we own all the movies. Even my youngest gets into the act as any plain stick can become a magic wand to cast spells and stupefy his siblings.
I stubbornly refuse to read the books, but the movies are always cool and, to my morbid delight, they are getting grittier and darker.
While vacationing in California recently, my mom kicked my kid’s excitement up a notch when she gleefully said she would attend the midnight screening on opening night. However, finding a time to go as a family is more complex than getting in line and buying tickets.
Even when any movie is cranked up at full theater volume, millions of Americans like me require captions to keep up with the plot. With this market of millions, their families and friends, it only makes sense that movie theaters provide lots of options for captioned movies, right?
Well, maybe only in the magical world of Harry Potter.
Today, there are 82 screenings listed for Potter throughout all of Thurston County. That’s 574 screenings in a one week period. How many screenings have captions for those who are deaf or hard of hearing?
Zero.
In fact, it will be at least two weeks after the movie is released when Martin Village Stadium 16 in Lacey will offer up a schedule for captioned screenings.
No other theater in Thurston County offers captioning.
Astonishingly, Potter will screen more than 1,100 times before it might be accessible with captions. Even when captioned screenings are scheduled, it’s difficult to find a show time that is reasonable.
As an example, the revenues from a recent top family movie, “Ice Age,” are now, (pun intended) cooling off and finally are screened with captions. According to The Olympian, I have two options, 3:50 p.m. and 8:55 p.m. Current industry practices dictate that captioned screenings are not provided during peak hours, and only after everyone else has had a chance to see the movie once or twice.
When history repeats itself, I expect “Potter” will have 10 or fewer captioned screenings over a five day period.
Most of the opportunities will be unreasonable unless I play hooky from work or pull off a red eye with crabby kids.
It’s hard to swallow that a handful of screenings over a few days compared to the thousands over the next few months is considered a reasonable accommodation.
Sadly, the technology to make captions happen is as simple as pressing a button. While some see captions as cool additions to enhance their experience; a choice few complain they are a distraction.
The fear of losing money has shaped the movie industry’s practices which segregate those with hearing loss.
Not surprisingly, many with hearing loss wind up waiting for a movie to come out on DVD, however, it does not absolve the industry’s responsibility for improving access. As a compromise some theaters have installed a technology called Rear Window captions.
These seats are reserved and allow viewable captions only for those who use the designated chairs in the back rows.
There are other cheap technologies that exist which are user friendly. All that is needed is the willingness to apply them.
Until that happens, those with hearing loss are forced to wait to view any movie and then given second class treatment with screening times. Rather than exclude millions, can’t we figure out a way to make the movies fun and accessible for everyone?
Stephen Roldan, a member of The Olympian’s Diversity Panel, is statewide coordinator of deaf services for the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation. He can be reached at roldasj@dshs.wa.gov.
Much to my surprise, I’ve found myself looking forward to seeing the newest “Harry Potter” movie.
My wife and kids have eaten up all the books and we own all the movies. Even my youngest gets into the act as any plain stick can become a magic wand to cast spells and stupefy his siblings.
I stubbornly refuse to read the books, but the movies are always cool and, to my morbid delight, they are getting grittier and darker.
While vacationing in California recently, my mom kicked my kid’s excitement up a notch when she gleefully said she would attend the midnight screening on opening night. However, finding a time to go as a family is more complex than getting in line and buying tickets.
Even when any movie is cranked up at full theater volume, millions of Americans like me require captions to keep up with the plot. With this market of millions, their families and friends, it only makes sense that movie theaters provide lots of options for captioned movies, right?
Well, maybe only in the magical world of Harry Potter.
Today, there are 82 screenings listed for Potter throughout all of Thurston County. That’s 574 screenings in a one week period. How many screenings have captions for those who are deaf or hard of hearing?
Zero.
In fact, it will be at least two weeks after the movie is released when Martin Village Stadium 16 in Lacey will offer up a schedule for captioned screenings.
No other theater in Thurston County offers captioning.
Astonishingly, Potter will screen more than 1,100 times before it might be accessible with captions. Even when captioned screenings are scheduled, it’s difficult to find a show time that is reasonable.
As an example, the revenues from a recent top family movie, “Ice Age,” are now, (pun intended) cooling off and finally are screened with captions. According to The Olympian, I have two options, 3:50 p.m. and 8:55 p.m. Current industry practices dictate that captioned screenings are not provided during peak hours, and only after everyone else has had a chance to see the movie once or twice.
When history repeats itself, I expect “Potter” will have 10 or fewer captioned screenings over a five day period.
Most of the opportunities will be unreasonable unless I play hooky from work or pull off a red eye with crabby kids.
It’s hard to swallow that a handful of screenings over a few days compared to the thousands over the next few months is considered a reasonable accommodation.
Sadly, the technology to make captions happen is as simple as pressing a button. While some see captions as cool additions to enhance their experience; a choice few complain they are a distraction.
The fear of losing money has shaped the movie industry’s practices which segregate those with hearing loss.
Not surprisingly, many with hearing loss wind up waiting for a movie to come out on DVD, however, it does not absolve the industry’s responsibility for improving access. As a compromise some theaters have installed a technology called Rear Window captions.
These seats are reserved and allow viewable captions only for those who use the designated chairs in the back rows.
There are other cheap technologies that exist which are user friendly. All that is needed is the willingness to apply them.
Until that happens, those with hearing loss are forced to wait to view any movie and then given second class treatment with screening times. Rather than exclude millions, can’t we figure out a way to make the movies fun and accessible for everyone?
Stephen Roldan, a member of The Olympian’s Diversity Panel, is statewide coordinator of deaf services for the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation. He can be reached at roldasj@dshs.wa.gov.