Movie Theater Accessibility, A Review

In general, everyone loves going to the movie theaters. I remember growing up and loving being able to have a special day at the theater - getting popcorn, and an icee (coke and cherry mixed, of course) and being able to sit and see the movie on the giant screen. It was also typically loud enough that I could hear most of the movie even if I couldn't see the character's lips, since there wasn't captions. I didn't bother to grab a captioning device because they never seemed to work for me.

Then I went to a couple of "open caption" nights at a local theater and fell in love with being able to see the captions on the screen to where, if it wasn't a showing that had open captions, I didn't go.

When COVID hit, that theater stopped offering open captions as they said it "wasn't profitable" enough and their captioning device worked "fine." (Hint: it really doesn't)

Here's a picture of the most common type of device.

So I haven't gone to the theaters in years.

A Request to Go

But, my sister-in-law wanted to get a big group of girls to go see Wicked together for her birthday. We decorated hats, I made fun beaded bracelets (coming soon on the shop, bracelets are available to customize!), we had dinner and cake, and then off to the movie theater we went. And it was a nice theater - a dinner theater with reclining and heated seats (very comfortable!)

We got to the theater, I went to customer service, and they handed me the captioning device linked to my theater and the girls and I headed to our seats.

I'd like to note here that I called (using InnoCaption) earlier that day to verify with the AMC theater that YES, they would have a working captioning device. And was assured at least twice that, yes, they do and it would work.

Nope.

It kept saying "Not found. Searching...". A little over 5 minutes of the movie, I got up, and went back to the service desk. They apologize and one walked back with me with a new device. It still didn't work, so they went to "fix" it. About ten minutes later, it starts working. Earlier I had tried to place it into the cup holder but gave up. I tried again, but it didn't fit. Now, if my memory is correct, it did fit before, but they renovated this theater a few years ago and must've installed smaller cup holders because the device definitely doesn't fit - and if I forced it, I was afraid I'd break it. I instead I worked on maneuvering it to somehow sit in my lap or next to me.

Eventually, I just put it beside my leg and propped it up on the little table that snack could go on. It worked best that way so that I could see both the movie and the captions.

About thirty minutes later, I notice a "low battery warning" but the movie was at the Dancing Through Life song and I didn't want to get up even though it was making me nervous because they were dancing on BOOKS! (gasp!)

I ignore it for a few more minutes, only to have it shut down. I got back up and went back out because the device stopped working. I let them know (again) and they gave me a new one and apologized.

By now, I have missed more than 20 minutes of the movie because of the devices.

The last one worked... for the most part. The captions were ahead of the movie (it wasn't quite on time) so I was always slightly ahead reading but at least I had captions.

And I got to see "Defying Gravity" song.

After the movie, I did talk to the customer service people (briefly). I let them know that I had called ahead to verify everything would work (both captioning turned on or the devices being charged) so there was NO reason that I should've had to get up twice and miss the movie. They apologized. I let them know the device doesn't fit in the cup holders and I had to awkwardly hold it. They apologized.

Apologies are nice and thank you, but being nice or getting an apology doesn't help me.

I needed the captions. Not an apology.

There was no discussion of getting a refund, or getting a discount to come back. They simply apologized and went about their business.

Do better, theaters.

It's almost 2025.

Technology is available today to have captions or better accessibility for Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals at a movie theater so that we can enjoy the experience.

There should be NO excuse or apologies.

It was frustrating because I absolutely loved the musical - I've been able to see the off-Broadway musical twice - and even though the book is vastly different, I did love the first book. And from what I saw, what I could enjoy, the actors and the music was fantastic in part one of Wicked. I just wish, for me, I'd been able to enjoy it more. I wish I could've sat and had captioning so I could follow. I wish I'd had the same experience as the other girls.

But I didn't. And it's because of poor accessibility, which shouldn't be the cause.

Maybe next time, but more than likely, I will not be going back to the movie theaters until they have open captions available.

And there is no excuse not to have 1 showing for each show available.

Here is the ASL review of my experience.

Defy gravity!