AMC Theater Announce Open Caption Option during Showtimes in over 100 U.S. Markets

Open captioning will be available during select showtimes at 240 AMC theaters. 

Open captions, or captions that are added to a video file or media player, cannot be turned off. Closed captions, on the other hand, are optional captions that can be turned off during a video or movie that is being shown. 

The option of open captions makes places like movie theaters more accessible to anyone who is deaf, hard of hearing (HOH), or non-native English speakers. 

Markets that work with at least two AMC theaters will offer some showtimes with open captions for each of the latest films every week.

Overall, their movies will continue with closed captioning.   

The latest Marvel movie, “Eternals”, stars deaf actor Lauren Ridloff as Makkari, who is the fastest superhero in the comics. Ridloff criticized the lack of accessibility in movie theaters during an interview with the New York Times.  

"We're an afterthought in movie theaters, and that needs to change," she told the Times. "You have to use a special closed-captioning device to watch subtitling in a theater, and it's a headache."

Ridloff emphasized the importance of representation in Hollywood. According to a study from 2016, one in four Americans live with a disability, yet there are few portrayals of disabled actors who are cast in roles.  

As more and more people are returning to theaters, don’t be left out. Reading captions, hearing dialogue as best as you can, listening to the score of the movie, and having conversations with people who see the movie with you, are all part of a great theater experience. 

Contact us at Pure Sound Hearing for a complimentary hearing test and consultation. We offer hearing aids and assistive listening devices so that you can fully enjoy your time in theaters. 

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