October 1, 2012

Accessibility Update: Cinemark Installing Audio Description Equipment in Movie Theaters across the United States



Photo: Movie Reel with Film

On September 27th, 2012 Cinemark announced that it is installing audio description equipment on a rolling basis in its theaters across the United States.  Installation is already well under way, and all of Cinemark’s theaters in California already offer audio description (also referred to as video description and descriptive narration). Users simply ask for audio description earphones when purchasing their movie ticket.  The earphones provide descriptive narration during the movie.  Descriptive narration is a way of making visual media more meaningful to people with vision loss. Narrated descriptions provide information about key visual elements such as actions, settings, facial expressions, costumes, on-screen text and scene changes. The descriptions are inserted into pauses in the soundtrack and do not interfere with the dialogue.  Cinemark will be offering audio description at all of its first-run theaters (over 98% of the company's theaters nationwide) by mid 2013.

Cinemark's initiative is the result of Structured Negotiations with the California Council of the Blind and several Cinemark patrons with visual impairments.


A reminder: This blog is intended to share news and information about the WBRC to past, current, and future students, their families, and anyone interested in the WBRC. Any other organization, company, or product referred to in this blog is purely intended as information only and is in no way endorsed by the WBRC or agencies connected to the WBRC.

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