Miss-Delectable
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Brantford Expositor - Ontario, CA
Movie lovers in Brantford are eagerly awaiting Friday, when the new Galaxy Cinemas will open its doors.
Not Jessica Gibbs. The 22-year-old city resident won't be able to enjoy the action on any of the eight screens in the high-tech theatre, which features special accommodations for people with disabilities.
Those who are deaf, such as Gibbs, are out of luck. No captioning system is available here, at least for now.
"It makes me angry that they only go so far to create accessibility for everybody in the community," she said in an interview by e-mail.
"I feel they should make everybody more welcome to the Cineplex. We need to make our voice be heard and let them know we want to be welcomed to the Cineplex, too."
Gibbs notes that captioning doesn't just benefit people with hearing impairments: seniors or other viewers may also find it helps them follow on-screen conversations.
For years, hearing impaired patrons have been able to use a system called Rear Window Captioning, a small, portable screen which allows them to see dialogue and sound from the film being shown on the larger screen.
But that system only works with movies on film. And Brantford's new theatre will use digital technology, explained Pat Marshall, vice-president of communications for Cineplex Entertainment, which operates Galaxy.
There is not yet a captioning system available for digital movie theatres. Technology is in the works, but won't be in place for at least 12 to 18 months, Marshall said.
"Both Cineplex and the film industry are working quite diligently to find an adequate solution but we're just not there yet. And we can't install the old system because we're only putting in digital technology (in Brantford)."
"We're doing everything we can to expedite the situation."
Movie lovers in Brantford are eagerly awaiting Friday, when the new Galaxy Cinemas will open its doors.
Not Jessica Gibbs. The 22-year-old city resident won't be able to enjoy the action on any of the eight screens in the high-tech theatre, which features special accommodations for people with disabilities.
Those who are deaf, such as Gibbs, are out of luck. No captioning system is available here, at least for now.
"It makes me angry that they only go so far to create accessibility for everybody in the community," she said in an interview by e-mail.
"I feel they should make everybody more welcome to the Cineplex. We need to make our voice be heard and let them know we want to be welcomed to the Cineplex, too."
Gibbs notes that captioning doesn't just benefit people with hearing impairments: seniors or other viewers may also find it helps them follow on-screen conversations.
For years, hearing impaired patrons have been able to use a system called Rear Window Captioning, a small, portable screen which allows them to see dialogue and sound from the film being shown on the larger screen.
But that system only works with movies on film. And Brantford's new theatre will use digital technology, explained Pat Marshall, vice-president of communications for Cineplex Entertainment, which operates Galaxy.
There is not yet a captioning system available for digital movie theatres. Technology is in the works, but won't be in place for at least 12 to 18 months, Marshall said.
"Both Cineplex and the film industry are working quite diligently to find an adequate solution but we're just not there yet. And we can't install the old system because we're only putting in digital technology (in Brantford)."
"We're doing everything we can to expedite the situation."