Posted on 02/17/2009 9:47:19 AM PST by Sub-Driver
Movie theaters face suit over lack of captioned films Advocates cite disability laws
By LEVI PULKKINEN P-I REPORTER
For most cinema buffs, silent movies went out with the Coolidge administration eight decades ago.
But for film fans who are hard of hearing, today's theaters offer little beyond an indecipherable silence. Captioned showings remain rare, and existing technology that would allow attendees to read along at their seats is rarely used.
Now, a small group of Washington residents hopes to change that through a lawsuit filed earlier this month in King County Superior Court.
As others have around the nation, the lawsuit's proponents claim that most King County theaters are violating disability laws by failing to make the movies accessible to people with limited hearing.
"We can only go so far ourselves, and then we need a little help from other people so we can participate fully in life," said John Waldo, an attorney with the Washington State Communication Access Project, which filed the suit. "What we would like is just a much more equal opportunity."
Waldo, who has had limited hearing his whole life, said he and others with similar disabilities want to be able to enjoy a night at the movies as hearing people do. As the number of Americans with hearing disabilities increases, he argued, so does the need for accessible entertainment.
(Excerpt) Read more at seattlepi.nwsource.com ...
Ever try to watch anything with captions? You’re looking at the captions rather than the scene - news tickers for one ...
I’ve watched quite a few movies with subtitles and it does help to watch them more than once.
“...Now, a small group of Washington residents hopes to change that through a lawsuit filed earlier this month in King County Superior Court...”
Marxist capital of the USA.
Get the movie when it comes out on DVD. That’s what my FIL does.
I don't know why I didn't think of it myself.
Why don’t we just get it over with and sue the car makers for not providing cars that enable the blind to drive?
I have found it to be distracting though - you’re trying to watch what’s going on but your eyes automatically flip to the subtitles ... so you’re going up and down and loose a lot of what’s going on ....
Good point -
plus a a descriptive audio track for blind moviegoers!
Only one? What happens when a blind Indonesian wants to watch the movie?
“Waldo, who has had limited hearing his whole life, said he and others with similar disabilities want to be able to enjoy a night at the movies as hearing people do.”
Oh, SHUT UP! Rent a movie, stay home, turn up the volume as loud as you want....like I do!!! I haven’t been in a theater in 10 years. Don’t miss it one bit.
What a nation of whiny pusses we have!
I guess we’ll have the blind flying airplanes next??
morons...
“We also have to take into consideration blind people who can’t see the movie at all!”
Yes, they should have someone describing the scenes to them. And if they are deaf and blind they should have someone draw teh scenes on the palm of their hand.
These idiots fail to realize that a disability is just that and not everyone else’s problem to overcome for them.
Guess we will have to close the theaters out of consideration for them.
Make no mistake, that is the next step using this convoluted “logic”
"Now, a small group of Washington residents hopes to change that through a lawsuit filed earlier this month in King County Superior Court.
PING!
i actually watch things with captions all the time. My daughter is deaf and needs the captions. We have a movie theatre here (Regal) that provides several captioned movies once a week. That’s the movie theatre we go to (which is nice, clean and new). If the other theatres don’t want to caption, we don’t go to them.
Be glad you have all your senses.
wha?
Huh?
lol
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