In October, AMC Theaters announced that it will improve access for patrons who are deaf or hearing impaired with personal closed captioning systems at all of its digital screens in New York within one year.

Closed Captioning In Theaters

Closed captioning screens are being installed in New York first, and nationally on a rolling basis as AMC converts to digital cinema. A quarter of the screens in New York already have personal captioning equipment available, and more are being rolled out each week.

Personalized Service

Movie captions and closed captioning options are both available. Movie captions convey dialogue, narration, musical cues and other auditory information as written text for people who have difficulty hearing everything in the movie. Closed captioning is available for those guests who request it, and they will be able to see the captions in sync with the movie on a personal display device. The captions won’t be seen by the entire movie audience.

New Technology For Movie Watchers

AMC worked closely with the Hearing Loss Association of America to understand the needs of the hearing impaired population, and to provide the technology they need to be able to enjoy movies to the fullest.

AMC is Taking a Big Step Forward

With around 40 million Americans suffering from some degree of hearing loss, AMC is taking a large step in recognizing who its patrons are, and making their first-rate movie experience accessible to everyone. And as an organization, they are providing a model that other organizations can use to enhance experience of their movie-goers, encouraging more people to enjoy the movies and increasing their own viewing audience.

Increase Your Social Engagement

This is also an important step for those with hearing loss, because hearing impairment is directly linked to lower social engagement and activity. Having movies that are accessible to everyone allows those with hearing impairment to continue participating in activities that they enjoy with family and friends, keeping them engaged with the people and world around them.

Even those with mild to moderate hearing loss can be affected by their limited hearing, and can benefit dramatically with corrected hearing.