« Kelby Brick Farewell Message | Main | Protect Emergency Captioning! »
Movie Captioning Update
By advocacy | August 11, 2006
The NAD recently prepared information about captioned movies for the 2006 NAD Conference in Palm Desert, CA. That information includes:
•   a summary of movie captioning technologies (including a comparison chart);
•   a history of movie captioning efforts; and
•   a description of movie captioning access advocacy efforts, including a description of what you can do in your neighborhood and in your state to increase the showing of captioned movies.
In July 2006, at a meeting of the United States Access Board on “Communication Access†issues, the NAD presented information about captioned movies. At that meeting, the NAD reported that:
Less than 1% of all of the movies being shown in theaters today are shown with captions.
At the current rate movie theaters are installing caption display equipment:
•   for every movie theater to have 1 caption display system – to be able to display captions for 1 out of up to 20 different movies available at that movie theater for general audiences – it will take another 35 years (1); and
•   for every movie theater screen to have caption display equipment – to be able to display captions for any captioned movie available at that movie theater – it will take another 244 years (2).
Deaf and hard of hearing people are tired of waiting for the opportunity to go to the movies. We do not want to wait another 244 years or even another 35 years, to be able to see a movie with captions in our neighborhood theater, along with our children, families, and friends.
The NAD recommended that the Access Board review and reissue its information bulletin about movie captioning technologies, in consultation with the NAD.
Footnotes:
(1) 5,713 theaters – 420 systems installed = 5,293 theaters / 150 systems installed per year = 35 years.
(2) 37,092 screens – 420 screens equipped = 36,672 screens / 150 systems installed per year = 244 years.
New Movie Captioning Weblinks
Update
http://www.nad.org/movieupdateTechnologies
http://www.nad.org/movietechnologiesTimeline
http://www.nad.org/movietimeline
More Movie Captioning Information
General Information
http://www.nad.org/movietheatercaptioningCoalition for Movie Captioning (CMC)
http://www.nad.org/cmcCMC Position Statement
http://www.nad.org/cmcposition
August 19th, 2006 at 9:22 am
I am an interpreter in an elementary school with 5 deaf/hoh children. I am also the mother of an adult deaf son. I recently went to a brand new movie theater in our neighborhood and was astonished that they did not have any closed captioned movies. I spoke with the owner and she told me they could order them if they had advanced notice. The following week they offered the movie “Cars” subtitled in Spanish. You can only imagine how upset I was and voiced by opinion in the local newspaper.
September 2nd, 2006 at 12:47 pm
Hello, I’m disappointed to see that there are no access to captioned movies at local theatres where there are MANY deaf and hard of hearing residences in this areas which is located between two cities (Nashville, TN and Louisville, KY) which requires a travel of 2 hours one way to these cities..There are also many deaf and hard of hearing residences in Bowling Green, Ky which has a few theatres and still does not provide captioned movies…I think it is a shame that deaf and hard of hearing residences would have to travel much out of the way just to see a captioned theatre, if one is willing…An access to a theatre where captioned movies are provided should be at every city of all locations!
February 20th, 2007 at 8:42 pm
Take a look at http://www.deafaccessfilms.com. This site is unique in that they are the only site currently listing both:
1. a full list of films and events offering captions and subtitles, and:
2. show-time information to the full variety of captioned films, including non-English language films with English subtitles, new release American films offering on-screen or Open Captions, as well as films using Rear Window Caption services. From my research, no other single site offers the full range of film-caption types along with show-time and movie information. They were focusing their coverage of film showtimes on the California market in 2006. http://www.deafaccessfilms.com has begun, and expects to complete showtime coverage for the entire U.S. market by the end of 2007.
April 4th, 2007 at 1:06 pm
I am also a firm believer that the deaf should be more included in the hearing world, and by doing so, I think that their should be closed captioned in the theaters for those who chose to go. I would like to know what I can do to help in getting this program installed in our community(Putnam COunty). My mother is deaf, and I would like to be able to take her out one evening and her be able to enjoy it without me having to relay everything. Please let me know what I can do. Thank you Gloria
May 23rd, 2007 at 10:06 am
My husband is deaf and we live in Oklahoma. if we want to see a captioned movie we would have to go to Tx. we don’t have that kind of time or the want to. what needs to be done to get Oklahoman movie theaters to have even one theater that offers captioned movies. 10% of Oklahomans are deaf or hard of hearing.
July 12th, 2008 at 12:49 am
I just found your blog by a random search for movies to download and came across it. I’m glad I did! Great site and love the nice clean design. Nice reading too.
I’ll be a regular for sure